The Evil Eye Alchemist
by Sorakage Sama
Summary: A fusion with Fullmetal Alchemist. What if Harry Potter wasn't raised by the Dursleys? What if he was a part of the Elric Family? This story develops rather slowly, I hope you enjoy it.
1. Prologue: The Boy Who Lived

**The Evil Eye Alchemist**

**A Sorakage Sama Production  
**

Prologue: The Boy Who Lived

And if a single hair on Harry's head is harmed by these people, I will personally demonstrate what kind of agony the inventor of the bat bogey hex can inflict upon you- Professor McGonagall

Robert Burns once said: "The best laid schemes of mice and men go often askew." In laymen's terms, no matter how well a scheme is planned, that single overlooked detail will change everything.. Take the life of Harry Potter/Elric. He was a perfect example of how the ripples of fate can affect people in ways we can't fathom. His life was planned out from the beginning. He was to be the perfect savior that would pull the world from the jaws of damnation. But a single error in judgment would alter his future in ways no one could expect.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number four Privet Drive were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much! They were the last people on earth you would expect to be involved in the supernatural or strange. They just didn't fit the bill, no matter how you looked at them.

Mr. Vernon Dursley was a huge beefy man with almost no neck, a ton of flab, and a gigantic mustache that looked like a caterpillar was nesting under his nose. He was also proud to say that he owned the largest drill manufacturing company in the world.

Mrs. Petunia Dursley, on the other hand, was the total physical opposite of her husband. She was thin as a rake and had more than three times the amount of neck as an ordinary person. This tended to come in very handy when she practiced her hobby of spying on the neighbors.

Their son, Dudley, was the spitting infant image of his father. Fat, spoiled and perfect in every way, in their opinion anyway…

But, they had a secret, a secret that if it ever got out would utterly ruin their carefully cultivated reputation of ordinariness. The secret was about Petunia's sister and her husband, Mrs. Lily Potter, and Mr. James Potter. The fact was that the Potters were about as abnormal as humanly possible. And because of this, Mrs. Dursley denied having a sister as vehemently as possible. They denied any association with the Potters, lest their "unnaturalness" rub off on their perfect little son.

But enough with the introductions… on with the story.

* * *

It all started on a gray Tuesday morning, on a gray day, of a gray month, on a gray year. There was nothing to indicate to anyone that anything, mysterious or, dare I say, supernatural, was happening all over the world.

The first thing out of the ordinary Vernon noticed was the cat that was reading a book perched on the wall bordering his property. He jerked his head around so quickly that his neck bones cracked. The cat actually seemed to wince in sympathy. When Vernon looked a second time, the book had vanished. The Tabby was there, but the copy of Othello was gone. Vernon shook his head as he drove away, he could have sworn that the cat was reading the street sign. But that couldn't be right? Cats can't read, right?

* * *

The day passed normally for quite some time, right up until Vernon got caught in a traffic jam. He did another double take as he looked out the car window and spied a group of unusual people clustered on the side walk. People wearing cloaks.

"The nerve of some people!" Mr. Dursley growled under his breath.

* * *

Then came the owls.

As Vernon drummed his fingers on his desk, he waited for his morning report.

"HOOT! HOOT! HOOT!"

The fat man's eyes bulged as he saw more than a dozen owls swoop past his office window.

_"I didn't see any owls! I didn't see any owls! I didn't see any owls!"_ Vernon mentally chanted.

* * *

"Do you believe it? Harry Potter beat the dark lord!"

"Really?"

"You're kidding! You-Know-Who is gone for good!"

Vernon shot a withering glare at the fifth group of people wearing cloaks that he had walked past since he left work to get his pre lunch doughnut.

One of the men whirled around and shot Vernon a perfectly beatific smile.

"My dear sir! Even Muggles such as you certainly have a reason to celebrate today!" the man giggled happily as he threw his arms around Vernon in a totally unexpected hug.

The stranger let go and ran back to his group, leaving Vernon totally flummoxed and trying to discern why a total stranger had not only called him a nonsense word, but just hugged him out of nowhere.

As he staggered away Vernon was stopped in his tracks for a second time.

"_Did one of those weirdoes mention the Potters" _Vernon internally gulped. At that moment, Vernon made a mental note to interrogate his wife about the whereabouts of her freakish sister, her bum of a husband, and their equally abnormal child.

* * *

It was late that same, night, the land was totally dark under a moonless night sky. The only illumination to be found was under the dim glow of the street lamps.

POP!

With a small crack of displaced air, the most unusual looking man to ever step foot on Privet drive arrived. He was tall and slightly stooped with age, a silver beard long enough to tuck into his belt grew from his wizened face.

As he walked softly down the road toward number 4, the old man pulled out a device that resembled nothing more than an over sized silver lighter. As he opened it and clicked the switch, the light of the street lamps were sucked into it like matter into a black hole.

As the strange man looked around his eye twinkled madly as he spied the tabby that was still sitting on the wall, even after all this time.

"I should have known you would have an interest in this venture, professor McGonagall." Dumbledore chuckled.

The cat leapt off the wall and quickly transformed into a rather sever looking older woman in a flowing black robe.

"Is it true Albus? Is Voldermort really gone?" she almost pleaded.

"Indeed, I saw his body myself…" the ancient wizard replied.

"And the Potters?"

"Also gone I'm afraid. All that's left of their family is little Harry…"

"I thought as much…" McGonagall sighed.

'But there is a silver lining to this, young Harry is still alive and Hagrid is bringing him here at this moment."

Professor McGonagall lips pursed as she shot the headmaster a disapproving glare. "You don't intend to actually give Harry to these people? They are **not** suitable caretakers for young Harry! They are the worst kind of people!"

"I'm sure that they will prove to be adequate guardians…" Dumbledore replied evenly.

"And if a single hair on Harry's head is harmed by these people, I will personally demonstrate what kind of agony the inventor of the bat bogey hex can inflict upon you!" she growled.

Dumbledore twitched as he remembered the last time she used that hellish spell on him.

"I vow on my magic I will watch Harry with the utmost care." the elderly man promised as the mystic energies within him responded and bound him to his oath.

Their conversation was interrupted by the roar of a motorcycle. As the pair turned around and followed the sound and looked up. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose almost above his hairline as he watched the flying motorcycle the large man was riding land with an unhealthy sounding crunch. At the moment both thought it was better simply not to ask.

As the giant maneuvered off the bike, the pair noticed the tiny bundle clutched in the man's arms.

"The 'ittle tyke fell asleep while we were flying o'er Devon. D'idn make a sound, e'en when I pulled him out'a what was left o' his house." The large man rumbled.

The strange trio crept silently up to the house, the giant placed the baby on the doorstep, planting a scratchy kiss on the child's forehead.

The giant let out a howl like a wounded animal as he sobbed at the top of his lungs, tears pouring out of his tiny beetle like eyes.

"Now, now Hagrid," Professor McGonagall chided gently, "you'll wake the muggles."

Dumbledore placed a letter next to the sleeping child, hoping that when he was found, the missive would explain everything.

* * *

It was several days later that Dumbledore decided to make good on his promise and check on the last Potter.

He took out his scrying mirror and tapped it with his wand murmuring an inaudible incantation.

The image swirled, until it focused on the image of Mrs. Dursley. Carrying little baby Harry toward what appeared to be an outdoor swimming pool.

As the ancient wizard could only look on in mute shock and horror as the woman tossed the child into the pool with a splash!

"This will teach you to contaminate my son's toys with your unnaturalness, **freak!**" she screamed.

With that, she calmly strolled into the house as if nothing happened.

Even before the child fell into the pool, Dumbledore ran to the apparition point in his office, he disappeared with a loud crack.

He reappeared in the Dursley's back yard and waved his wand at the pool.

"Accio, Harry Potter!" Dumbledore bellowed.

With a huge splash, the sputtering, wailing child shot out of the water like a cannonball and gently settled into his arms.

As he shot the house a poisonous look, he noticed Petunia looking out the window, she backed off with a squeak of fright when she realized she was noticed.

CRACK!

Petunia let out a squeal of terror as she whirled around

"Did you do this?" Dumbledore asked, his voice a hushed, barely audible, whisper.

Petunia sputtered before attempting to make some sort of challenge against the professor. "Of course!" she snarled, shooting the year old infant in Dumbledore's arms a vicious glare, as if he was the one at fault. "The boy's nothing but a complete waste on my families finances! He's an abnormal freak like the rest of you! You...you should be thankful I waited as long as I did to drown him!"

Dumbledore's express became colder than the most frigid arctic wind. And for an instant appeared truly terrifying. Petunia experienced the terror that drove countless dark wizards to their knees, and earned Dumbledore the title of the only one Voldermort ever feared. With a soft snarl he leaned into Mrs. Dursley's face, his twinkling blue eyes now as dark as a storm-tossed sea. He glared down at her with a look that could almost kill and an aura of unfathomable power gathered around him as he slowly drew his wand.

Petunia, pale as death, wet herself.

* * *

Dumbledore sighed to himself as he looked at the infant child sleeping peacefully in front of him. For the first time in many long years, he didn't know what to do. The Dursleys were young Harry's closest relatives. Now that they were no longer…available to look after Harry, Dumbledore was stuck between a rock, and a hard place.

The ancient Wizard once again looked over the combined Potter/Evans family tree as he tried to discern a solution.

That was when Dumbledore noticed something. A length of the chart was burned away from the left side, obliterating one of the family lines. The scorching was unnoticeable unless you looked very closely. Most people would simply pass the jagged edge off as damage from the long years. But Dumbledore wasn't most people.

The elderly wizard's eyes widened as he cast a repair charm and looked over a previously unknown branch of the Potter Family that lived in the far off nation of Armestris.

James Potter's forgotten distant squib cousin Trisha Elric and her husband Holenheim.

Maybe the situation wasn't so hopeless after all.

**Glossary for this Chapter**

Magic: the mysterious energy harnessed by witches and Wizards that allow them to change the world around them as they see fit.

Albus Dumbledore: Headmaster at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry, also known as one of the most powerful wizards on the face of the planet. He is widely known as the only one that the Dark wizard Voldermort ever feared.

Minerva McGonagall: Deputy Headmistress, head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts. Quite powerful in her own right, she is considered to be Dumbledore's second in command, often taking over in his absence.

Hagrid: The groundskeeper of Hogwarts. A gentle giant in every sense of the word.

Harry Potter: Often known as the Boy-Who Lived, he was the only known survivor of the unstoppable killing curse the ended the lives of hundreds of people, including his parents when he was one year old. This was the act that vanquished the worst dark lord in the history of magic.

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	2. Chapter 1: The Three Alchemists

Chapter 1: The three Alchemists

WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICRO-MIDGET SO SMALL THAT YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM YOU BACKWATER DESERT IDIOT?- Ed

Almost ten years later…

In a bustling little village in a far away country, people were listening to a spiritual broadcast over the radio.

"**Children of God who Dwell on this earth, there is no salvation without prayer and faith."**

The message caught the ears of a trio of people eating at an outdoor diner.

"**The Sun God Leto will illuminate thy path! Behold! He hath descended from his heavenly throne to save all thee from thy sins!"**

Of the three of them, the largest one, clad in an intimidating suit of armor was the first to comment. Oddly enough, his voice was slightly high pitched like a young child's. He was Alphonse Elric.

"Huh, a religious broadcast on the radio?" he asked.

The second one was a balance between the other two, while not as tall as the one in the armor, he was taller than his blond companion. He had a mop of unruly black hair and startlingly green emerald eyes. And slightly visible through the fringe of hair that covered his forehead was a lightning bolt shaped scar and a slightly visible indentation across the center of his forehead. He wore a bulky black coat over a gray sweater, along with a pair of white gloves. His name was Harry Elric, State Alchemist.

"Humph!"the black haired youth grunted as he ignored the chatter and focused on his meal.

The person to the far left was last to comment, he was shorter than the other two by far, despite being the oldest of the three by more than two years. He had a head of straw colored hair and gold eyes, he wore a bulky red duster over a black pullover, and white gloves over his hands. And last but not least, was Edward Elric, the famed Fullmetal state alchemist.

"Emissary of God? What the heck is that?" he snickered.

"Actually, I was gonna ask you three the same thing."Are you street performers?"" The owner commented as he looked them over.

"What, do the three of us look like clowns or something?"Harry sputtered as he choked on his drink.

"Well what else could you be? I never saw you around here before? I just figured you were entertainers who were passing through. You folks on a trip?" the diner owner asked.

"Kind of, we're looking for something." Ed said offhandedly.

"By the way, what's this broadcast all about?" Al asked nonchalantly.

"You never heard of father Cornello?" one of the other diner patrons asked.

"Who?" the blond grunted.

Thus started the deluge of explanations.

"Father Cornello's the Sun god's missionary!" one man said.

"He's the founder of the church of Leto! He can do all sorts of miracles!"

"He's a wonderful man who came to town a few years ago and taught us the ways of god!" gushed a woman.

"Yeah! He's amazing!" added someone near the back of the crowd that had formed.

The explanation ceased when they all realized that the blond boy wasn't listening any more and the black haired child had apparently fallen asleep in his burrito.

"Show some respect!" the armored one snapped as he slapped the dark haired one on the back of the head.

"I heart you too Fluffy," Harry said languidly. Ed snorted into his drink.

"Don't call me that!" Al growled.

"Come on, Fluffernutter, you love that nickname. You know you do!" Harry drawled, poking his brother repeatedly in the head. His normally mild mannered relative bore this silently until his temper snapped and he swatted the hand away, jumped on Harry, and wrestled him to the ground.

Ignoring the bickering of the other two, the shop owner asked "You're not listening are you?" he growled.

"Nope' I'm agnostic!" the pony-tailed blond deadpanned.

"Forget agnostic bro, your probably make out with the colonel rather than join any religion under the sun!" quipped Ed's non armored brother as he momentarily slipped out of the head lock Al put him in..

SMACK! A slap to the back of the head knocked Harry on his face.

"Thanks for the eats, let's go!" the short boy said as he got up and prepared to sort out his squabbling brothers.

BANG!

CRASH!

"GAH!"

Ed was laid out flat as the radio perched on the ledge above crashed down on his head. Harry had kicked Al off of him and into the ledge above them, dislodging the device and smacking Ed right in the noggin.

Harry snickered.

"Aw! My radio! Could you be more careful sir?"

"The radio? What about my head!" the blond whined.

"I'm sure we can fix it." Harry assured the man.

"Fix **that**?" he asked dubiously, looking at the pile of scrap that was his customer's only source of entertainment.

"Just sit back and watch…" Ed said simply.

The crowd watched as Al drew a circle on the ground, and various runes on the outer edge.

Minutes later, the mysterious ring was apparently complete.

The armored boy crossed his arms over the circle.

FLASH!

A bright light momentarily blinded the throng circled around the Elric trio. When the light died down, in place of the busted parts was a fully whole radio!

"How's that?" Ed asked smugly

"Whoa!"

"That's amazing!"

"They can do miracles like father Cornello!"

Harry rolled his eyes, 'That wasn't a miracle, that was alchemy!"

"Yeah, we're the Elric brothers" Al said.

"May-haps you've heard of us?" Ed preened.

"Yeah! they say the oldest brother is called the Fullmetal alchemist, Edward Elric and the second youngest is called the Jagan alchemist' Harry Elric!" someone exclaimed.

The group rushed forward…and right past Ed, almost as if he wasn't there.

"You must be that Fullmetal guy!" A man gushed as he and the others crowed around the largest of the three brothers.

"They must call you Fullmetal because you wear all that armor!"

"COOL!"

"Can I have your autograph!"

"And you must be the evil eye alchemist! The one who copied more than a thousand alchemical techniques from State alchemists all around the country!" another stranger gushed at Harry.

"Wrong on the first count, right on the second. The Fullmetal alchemist is him." Harry drawled, pointing at Ed, who was standing there, barely managing to restrain his temper. All it would take would be one spark to set him off.

"What? That puny little guy?" one of the men in the crowd asked, not knowing the danger that he was putting himself in.

3…2…1…Ignition!

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MICRO-MIDGET SO SMALL THAT YOU NEED A MAGNAFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM YOU BACKWATER DESSERT IDIOT?" Ed raged as he leaped on the perpetrator and beat him into the ground with his bare fists.

"I didn't say that!" the man squawked as he scrambled away when Ed's brothers entered the fray and dragged their height challenged sibling away.

"Ed's kind of height sensitive…" Harry supplied as he put his older brother in a headlock while Al pinned his arms behind his back.

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

Ed paused from gnawing on Al's arm and kicking Harry long enough to over his shoulder as the distinctive sound of quickly running sandaled feet reached his ears. He spied a young girl about Harry's age (give or take a few weeks) with distinctive dual colored brown hair with a pair of pink forelocks framing her pretty dark skinned face.

"Hello sir! Things certainly are busy" the young girl said happily as she stopped in front the counter.

"Oh! Hello Rose, good to see you out and about! You're goin' to temple?"

"Yep! The usual please, oh, some new faces?" the girl blinked as she noticed the Elric trio.

"Yep, they're lookin' for somethin'." The owner replied as he handed her the food.

"I hope you find what you're looking for! May Leto bless you" the young lady said happily as she ran down the road.

"Huh. Who was she?" Al asked, now that he was able to get a word in edgewise.

"That's Rose. She and her family moved to this town a few years ago." One of the villagers supplied.

"Yeah, until last year when…the accident happened. She lost all her family, her mother, father, and her older brother. Most of us were afraid that sooner or later she would lose the will to live." someone continued.

"That was when Father came and showed her the way! Brought her right back from the edge and gave her something to live for."

"Praise on! Father performs miracles and can bring people back from the dead!" One of the crowd proclaimed fervently.

Harry shared a dark look with his brothers, "I do not like the sound of that…"

"Me neither. I think we need to take a closer look at the situation at large." Ed grimaced.

"I think I know how." Al murmured as his gaze followed the path the girl took.

All the while, the radio innocently continued its broadcast, **"I tell you, pray and have faith. All your payers will be answered…**

* * *

"And the Grace of Leto shall shine upon all his children." Father Cornello finished.

"A fine sermon your holiness." one of the brothers of the church murmured.

"Yes, thank you your holiness! It is an honor to hear you preach." another praised.

A knock on the door halted their conversation. The portal opened, and in stepped Rose.

"Oh! It's you Rose. You are a shining example to the church." Coenello chuckled.

"I'm just doing my duty." she whispered, not meeting his eyes. That changed seconds later when she looked at him imploringly.

"Father, I must ask you, will you be able to…"

"No." Cornello said softly.

The girl's lip trembled as tears stared to flow. Father put his hand on the girl's shoulder and reassured her. "Leto has witnessed your good deeds. But it is not yet time for your family to be returned to you. You understand, don't you?"

"Y-yes, Father…not yet." Rose mumbled sadly.

It might have been her imagination, but when Rosé looked up, the preacher's smile seemed…different. Not his same warm grin, it seemed more…sinister.

**Glossary for this Chapter**

Rose: A young girl who lives in the far off desert town of Liore. She is a devout member of the church of Leto.

Father Cornello: the founder the Church of Leto, and its chief priest.

Leto: Sun god and deity of the Church of Leto.

Harry Elric/Potter: the middle Elric brother, born of Lilly and James Potter and raised by Trisha Elric and Hohenheim, While not as skilled as his brothers at hand to hand or alchemy, he makes up for his deficiencies with his mysterious third eye, given due to the backlash of the attempt at human transmutation. It gives him mild telepathic abilities to skim people's surface thoughts and control the weak minded. It also allows him to comprehend, dissect, and duplicate transmutations. The only weakness being that he must have prior knowledge about the subject in order to duplicate it. If he does not have the skill, then Harry is incapable of performing the transmutation.

Edward (Ed) Elric: The Oldest of the Elric Brothers, he was the instigator of the plan to bring their mother as well as Aunt Lilly and Uncle James back from the dead. He is physically powerful for someone his height and weight, and is known as a master alchemist. He earned the title "Fullmetal Alchemist" because of his automated arm and leg. He became a state alchemist to gain the resources necessary to find a way to fix all their bodies and make things right. He is very height sensitive and will verbally and physically lash out at anyone who he perceives is calling him short, even if they are many times his strength or size.

Alphonse (Al)Elric: Younger Brother of Edward Elric and Harry Elric/Potter. Very adept at hand to hand combat, he is the most physical of the three brothers, as well as the largest, despite being the youngest at only nine years old. When the transmutation attempt to bring their parents back to life failed, Al lost his entire body. Ed quickly traded his arm in an attempt to bind Al's soul to a suit of armor. The transmutation was a success, and Al is now a living golem.

Alchemy: A science native to the isolationist continent of Armestris. It's first and most important principle is that of equal exchange; for you to gain, you have to give something in return. Alchemy is the art of transforming one object or element into another. But there are many rules that **must**, I repeat **must **be followed if you intend to study this science. First and foremost is that practicing alchemy on humans is strictly forbidden. No person has walked away from a human transmutation unscathed. Second, that alchemic reactions must be performed with the utmost care and accuracy. If your transmutation is not balanced, it will backlash and leave you almost as badly off as if you tried to transmute a human being.

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	3. Chapter 2: Those who chase the Sun

Chapter 2: Those Who Chase the Sun

This is the will of God!- Brother Cray

The architecture of the church of Leto was among the most well known in the world. From the high arched marble ceiling, to the stained glass windows made by some of the most sought after artisans in the nations. It was truly a wondrous sight to behold.

But the beauty was lost on the Elric brothers, who were more interested in the young bi-haired girl who was on her knees, praying at the alter.

"Unser Leto in dem Himmel, dein Name werde geheiligt. dein Reich komme. Dein Wille geschehe, auf Erden, wie im Himmel. Unser täglich Brot gib uns heute, und vergib uns unsere Schulden, wie wir unsern Schuldigern führe uns nicht in Versuchung, sondern erlöse uns von dem Übel. Amen." she prayed softly.

Rosé looked up when she heard the clunk of boots against the marble floor of the church.

'Oh! It's good to see you three again!" she chirped.

Ed snorted snidely, "So, if you pray in front of an alter all day, the dead will come back to life?"

She shot him a cross glare.

"Brother…" Harry growled warningly, which mirrored the Al's harsh glower.

"I take it your not here to learn about Letoism?" Rosé murmured.

"No, the three of us are atheists." Al shrugged.

"That's not good! If you don't have faith, how can you have hope?"

Harry rolled his eyes, Ed sighed.

"Not to mention, if you have faith, you grow taller for sure, miracles do happen!"

Ed twitched and clenched his fist, as if he wanted to wrap them around the girl's neck.

"Easy brother! Easy! She didn't mean it like that!" Al soothed as he put his oldest brother in a full nelson.

Harry sighed and shook his head as he plunked himself down on the pew, "Jeeze, do you believe that load of bull?" Harry grimaced.

"Yes… I do." Rosé said solemnly.

Harry sighed, "Water: 36 liters, Carbon: 20 Kg, Ammonia: 4 liters, Lime: 1.5 Kg, Phosphorus: 800 g, salt: 250 g, saltpeter: 100 g, sulfur: 80 g, fluorine: 7.5 g, iron: 5 g, silicon: 3g, and fifteen other trace elements…" Harry rattled off.

"Huh?" the bi-haired girl grunted, as her eyes glazed over.

"That's the total makeup of the total human body. Modern scientists have figured out all of this, and yet, not a single example of human transmutation has ever been accomplished…it's like something's missing, some mystery ingredient. The most ironic part being that all that stuff can be bought on a child's allowance, humans can be made on the cheap!" Ed chimed in.

"People are not objects! Saying such a thing is an insult to our divine creator!" she hissed angrily.

"While I don't subscribe totally to either of my brother's outlooks, if you go down this path and continue to follow Cornello, you will end up like Icarus, He made wings out of wax and feathers to fly, but when he got to close to the sun, the wax melted and he crashed and burned." Al said solemnly, not meeting anyone's eyes.

For the first time, Rosé didn't have a retort.

* * *

It was several days later, both sides had separated and cooled down their respective tempers.

The meeting was an accident but would undo events years in the making.

The crowd worked itself into a frenzy as Cornello prepared himself for another wonderful event.

"Hurrah!"

"Yeah!"

"Your holiness!"

"Give us a miracle!"

"Hey! Someone stole my wallet!"

"Where the hell am I now?"

The priest pulled the rosebud out of the lapel of his hassock. The man clasped his hands around the bloom, as flashes of light went off between his digits.

When Cornello opened his hands, the tiny rose bud had more than quadrupled in size and become a glowing, giant sunflower.

"What do you think?"

"There's no other explanation."

"You're right, it has to be alchemy, but he's bypassing the laws."

Rosé's expression brightened when she spied the Elric trio several yards off to her right.

"So you came after all! Now do you see that he can perform miracles! Cornello is the sun god's child!" the Pink and brown haired young woman asked

"Cornello's nothing but a grade-a fraud! His miracles are nothing but alchemy!" Ed spat.

"But how can you explain his bypassing the laws?" Al grimaced

"Yeah, that's the problem…Harry, what's the story?" the eldest sibling asked.

The middle Elric brother closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Rosé looked curiously as the middle brother seemingly meditated in the middle of the crowded plaza.

Harry's peaceful visage changed into a wide grin, "At last, we found it!" the black haired boy hissed.

"Hey, girl, we're starting to get real interested in this religion! Any chance you could take us to meet his holiness? We'd love to speak with him." The oldest brother smiled happily, his mood doing a quick 180 degree turn.

* * *

It was a short while after miracle gathering was finished, Father was going over his "scripture" to prepare for the next day's broadcast, only to be interrupted by brother Cray.

"Father, there is someone who wishes an audience. A little boy, a child with black hair, and a man in armor. They call themselves the Elric brothers." Brother Cray said softly.

"What? Tell the little pieces of merde I'm busy! Tell them to go home!" the father spat.

Just as Brother Cray was about to leave, the description sank in, making Father Cornello choke on his tea.

"Herk! Kaff….kaff…kaff…did you say the Elric brothers?" the preacher sputtered.

"Yes I'm sure that was the name the boy gave, do you know him?"

"IDIOT! This is the worst thing that could have happened! The Elric brothers are famous state Alchemists! The Jagan alchemist and the Fullmetal alchemist are known throughout the country!" Cornello roared.

Cray flinched "What? The brat was so little!"

"Fool, height doesn't equate talent, the two obtained their state licenses at the age of ten!" the priest snarled.

"How the devil did one of the army get wind of us? Could they know about the plan?"

"The dogs of the military must have excellent noses." Cornello said flatly.

"Do you want him chased off?"

"NO! Doing that would attract too much attention, he might return with others, which would mean the end of us! So…we must make it as if they never came."

"It shall be as god wills." Cray leered.

* * *

Later on, the Elric trio and Rose were led by several priests into a small antechamber by brother Cray and several standard bearers.

"His holiness is a very busy man, so it's not easy to gain an audience with him, you three should consider yourselves very lucky." Cray drawled.

"I promise we'll try not to take too long." Ed assured him as his brothers nodded in sync.

Cray smirked, "Well then, lets end it right away…**like this!"**

The clergyman whipped out a small pistol and jammed it through one of the eyeholes in Al's helmet.

BANG!

Klong!

The three could only watch in mute horror as Al's helmet (and his head they presumed) was blown off and clattered across the ground as his body collapsed to the ground with a clatter.

Bang!

Thock!

One of the standard bearers slammed Ed in the back of the head and threw him to the ground, while the other used his staff to sweep Harry's feet out from under him and knock him on his back. The one who knocked Harry off his feet pulled the tip off his staff and revealed a spear head.

"Brother Cray! What is the meaning of this? What are you doing?" Rosé screamed

"Trapping heathers, these evil doers planned to ensnare his holiness." Cray growled.

"But…Father would never allow this!" Rosé sputtered.

"Oh, but he did." Cray smirked.

The clergyman pointed his pistol at Ed's head and prepared to silence his second victim.

"The words of his holiness are the words of our lord. And this is the will of God!"

A metallic hand grabbed the pistol and wrenched it out of the henchman's grip.

"Guess there are some really rotten gods out there." Al snorted.

The only problem was that he was still missing his head, in fact his entire body was missing, and the armor was empty inside.

"What in the…" Cray gaped.

Wham!

Argh!

Thwap!

Several things happened in quick succession; Ed grabbed his assailant, and with one hand, lifted him up off the floor, and tossed him across the room. The one menacing Harry took one look at him and lurched back, clutching his head while letting out keening yowl of pain, only to be silenced by a strong right hook from the middle Elric brother.

Finally, "brother" Cray lost, most of his teeth when Al's iron fist crashed into his face, sending him to dreamland.

The last standard bearer tried to make a break for it, only to be dropped when Ed kicked Al's helmet/head into the air and into the crony's skull.

The whole process only took less than thirty seconds.

'Wh-wh-what's going on? There's nothing inside! The armor's empty!" the young girl stuttered.

"It's just what it looks like?" Harry shrugged nonchalantly.

"I guess you could say that this is my punishment for committing the greatest sin, trespassing on God's domain…my brothers and I both." Alphonse said sadly.

"You and Harry too?" Rosé whimpered, looking at Harry and Edward sadly.

"That's a story for another time…" Harry grunted.

"Now do you believe us that Cornello's a first rate fraud?" Ed asked softly.

"No! There has to be a mistake!" Rosé protested vehemently.

"Aw man! Even after all this, she still believes in 'his phoniness'!" Ed sputtered.

Wordlessly, the three of them came to a decision.

"Rosé do you have the courage to face the truth?" Harry asked as he reached for the buckles of Alphonse's breast plate.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	4. Chapter 3: Is it worth it?

Chapter 3: Is it worth it?

Come down and face me like a man, you third rate fraud!- Ed

After several hours of exploration, the Elric trio, sans Rose, came to a door that was more ornate than the others they had come across thus far.

"I guess this is the place, should we knock, or break down the door?" Edward asked.

Creeeeak….the door groaned as it opened on its own.

"I guess that means come in." Harry shrugged.

BANG!

The brothers tensed as the door slammed shut behind them.

They whirled around a second time at the sound of soft foot steps. It was Cornello descending down a flight of stairs.

"Welcome to the great church of Leto, did you come for a blessing, or a sermon." The preacher asked, looking down on them with a kind, grandfatherly look.

"No." Harry said flatly.

"All you could teach us is how you use your sub par alchemy skills to deceive your loyal flock." Ed spat.

Cornello's expression darkened, "I don't know what you mean what I do are miracles, not alchemy." The holy man denied.

"We saw all that, that was what was confusing at first, you seemed to bypass the laws." Al stated.

"That's exactly why I'm telling you it's not…"

"That's when it realized that there was only one viable explanation." The black haired Elric brother continued.

"The philosopher's stone. That's how you do it!" Ed hissed.

Cornello twitched.

"Like in that ring for instance."

The father's expression soured, "Humph…the government gets their moneys worth out of you, don't they. You saw through my whole operation. I possess the legendary philosopher's stone, the element that can amplify any alchemic reaction, allowing the maximum output for the minimum cost."" Cornello's grip on his cane tightened.

When he noticed the covetous looks that they were shooting the red stone on his hand, the false father smirked.

"From the look in you eyes, I'd say you want the stone rather badly, why, do you want money, power, fame?"

"How about you? Why would you want the with this phony baloney cult? With the stone you can create as much money as you want." Ed growled

"It's not about the money, I can fleece as much as I want from the sheeple of this village. What I really want are followers. People who will happily give their lives for me and my cause. Think about it, an invincible army of fanatics who don't fear death! Soon I will have more than enough people to overrun this country and rebuild it as I see fit! Soon, all of this nation will be mine!"

"Can we move on now…" Harry yawned.

"Yeah I wanna get to the part where we beat the living tar out of you and take the stone…" Ed drawled.

"What? Don't act like you don't care! The army has to care about my plan!" The false prophet sputtered.

Al sighed, "I'll get straight to the point, if you give us the stone right now…we'll just disappear and keep this who nasty little business a secret."

Cornello narrowed his eyes. "You actually have the nerve to try to bargain with ME? HA! None of my followers will believe you! I am loved by all! No matter how many times you proclaim me false, no one will listen!"

"Maybe not to us, but what about her?" Al said smugly as he unclasped his breast plate and revealed Rose huddled within his hollow chest cavity.

"Urk! R-R-Rose! What are you…" the preacher gaped.

"Father…is what you said true? Are all your miracles nothing but alchemy? You can't bring my family back?" his follower sobbed brokenly.

"I might have lied about being Leto's messenger, but with the stone, and some experimentation, I might just be capable of resurrecting your family." he replied.

The young girl stood there, transfixed, the thought of finally having her family back playing through her head like a wonderful dream.

"Be a good girl…" Cornello whispered.

"Don't listen to him!" Harry barked.

"Come here…" the preacher said soothingly.

"If you go down this road, you can't come back!" Ed snarled.

"Aren't you one of us?" the prophet murmured.

"Rose!" Al yelled.

"Come!"

"Rose!"

"Come!"

"Rose!"

"Come!"

"Rose!"

"Come!"

"Rose!"

"Come!"

"Rose!"

"Come!"

"STOP! JUST STOP IT!" the brunet screamed at the top of her lungs, clutching her head.

She stumbled forward, shooting the three a sad watery smile.

"I'm…I'm sorry. This is the only thing I can do. I want my family back. Please understand…" the bi-haired girl whimpered stumbling up the staircase toward the "Prophet".

Cornello smirked, he pulled open a small cupboard and flipped the switch within, the wall next to the Elrics opened with a rough grinding sound. The three looked into the darkened confines of the cages, three pairs of glowing, blood red eyes glared back.

"I wonder, have any of you ever encountered a chimera?" The preacher asked innocently.

And out clomped three monstrosities, two were identical over sized birds that might have once been mere emerald parakeets. Now the two were over eight feet tall, with serrated beaks that looked almost like teeth, and talons that dripped with venom. The second was a more unusual specimen; it had the front half of a full grown lion, and the back half of some lizard creature with huge bird like talons.

"Oh, and before the festivities begin…" Cornello leered.

FLASH!

The old man flicked his wrist, and the ground beneath the Elric trio shuddered wildly, turning into sand and sending Alphonse tumbling until he was buried upside down, up to his waist.

"I think you'll find it oh so much harder to trace a transmutation circle in loose sand. Now bring me their heads my pets!"

"You take the ugly one on the left, and I'll take the two ugly ones on the right!" Ed smirked.

"Nah, I'll take the two ugly ones on the right! I could use the workout. Taking these overgrown turkeys bare handed may be a little difficult. Sooooo… you thinkin' what I'm thinkin' bro?" Harry smirked.

"Yep!" Ed grinned evilly

In perfect sync, the two brothers clapped their hands together and pressed their palms to the ground. There was a flash of light as the sand began to collect at the boy's feet. In front of Ed, pole rose slowly from the ground, culminating in an ornate spear. As for Harry, he felt the need to get up close and personal with a pair of trench knifes.

"You stay down Al. We'll have this wrapped up in minute." The middle Elric grinned.

"Like I could go anywhere, even if I wanted to!" The youngest sibling grumbled as he kicked his feet uselessly.

As if by some unseen command, the creatures rushed forward, the lion chimera shredding the spear with a single swipe of its claws and tackling Ed to the ground in a matter of moments then sinking its teeth into his arm.

The avian chimeras swooped in and dove bombed Harry, each grabbing an arm, lifted him into the air, and prepared to yank him in half.

Only…one thing was wrong. Neither was hurt. In fact, both brothers were grinning like loons.

The lion chimera was gagging and choking on Ed's arm, while the birds were struggling to move Harry's limbs more than an inch.

"What's the matter you poor bastard? Don't like the taste?" Ed sneered.

WHAM!

He slammed his boot into the creatures face, causing it's jaws not only snap together and shred it's tongue, but shatter it's neck with the snap back, killing it instantly.

As for Harry, He jerked himself downward and cracked the two bird's skulls together. As soon as Harry hit the ground, he dove on one of the birds, much to Rose's astonishment, the indentation in the middle of Harry's forehead opened, revealing a third eye. The tertiary optic glared into the bird's eyes, probing its mind and taking total control.

The controlled chimera lurched to it feet and stumbled toward its brother.

"SCREEE!" the avian howled as it dove at its dazed brother, tearing into the creature with its beak and claws.

When the monster's heart finally stopped, the mind controlled bird waddled up to Harry and squatted down until it was eye level.

Thunk!

Harry slashed one of his trench knives across the bird's throat, severing the carotid artery and killing it in a matter of seconds.

Rose could only watch in fascinated horror as the duo dispatched the chimera as easily as one would step on an ant. Al finally worked himself free and burst out of the ground, sand streaming from every opening. He trudged forward took his place beside his brothers.

"Now come down and face me like a man, you third rate fraud!" Ed barked.

It was at that exact moment that both Cornello and Rosé noticed something odd about Ed and Harry, both of the middle child's, and the right arm of oldest had a metallic sheen.

Ed glared at the pair in the upper gallery as the oldest discarded the remains of his shredded coat, and Harry tore the destroyed sleeves off his sweater. Both revealed that in place of flesh and blood, their limbs were cold hard metal…automail, fullmetal prosthetics.

"Take a good look Rosé. I want you to see what will happen if you don't turn back." Ed growled.

"This is what happens to people who trespass on God's domain, those who have tried the forbidden…human transmutation." Harry spat.

"I see… I see. So this is why you two gained such fearsome titles. You were called the 'Fullmetal alchemist', because of your automail limbs, and the 'Jagan alchemist' because of your freakish third eye."

The preacher turned to the girl beside him, "Look Rose, these little boys tried to do the forbidden, they foolishly tried to perform human transmutation, look at the results. This is what happens when you commit the greatest crime." Cornello sneered.

That was when the girl remembered what Al had said to her several days earlier, "While I don't subscribe totally to either of my brother's outlooks, if you go down this path and continue to follow Cornello, you will end up like Icarus, He made wings out of wax and feathers to fly, but when he got to close to the sun, the wax melted and he crashed and burned."

All Rose could say was one word. "Why?" she whispered.

* * *

It seemed like it had happened so long ago.

Life had been so simple. The decision had been easy to make. Al and Ed's mother had been the kindest woman they had ever known. And Harry had never even known his parents. It had seemed so simple. A little work, a transmutation, and they could be a family again.

"Al! Harry! Get a look at this!" Young Ed cheered as he ran through the house with his latest theory. This one would work. He was sure of it.

Al and Harry's eyes widened when they looked over the advanced array. With this runic combination, the resurrection might just work!

"Yes! I think you did it big brother! With this, we might just be able to bring them back!" Harry smiled.

"Yeah! We can bring our mom back, and you can have your mom and dad!" Al chirped.

Harry had never known the love of his real family, and all Al and Ed wanted was to see their mother's smile, just once more.

They were so sure that it would work.

Their parents would be so proud…

All they had to do was accomplish the impossible.

Even if it was forbidden to transmute humans, they just had to try.

But it failed.

"Brother! Help!" Al screamed as the bolts of energy played over his body and ripped him apart.

Ed stumbled toward his youngest brother, even as what was left of his leg was shredded and pulled into the void.

Harry writhed in agony as the stumps of what was once his arms gushed and spouted blood.

Hours later, when Al opened his non existent eyes, Ed was huddled in a corner, clutching the stump of what was once his arm, and Harry was half dead blood loss.

"What happened…" Al whimpered, his mind refusing to believe that he wasn't flesh and blood, but cold hard steel.

"Al…I'm sorry. All I could get for my right arm was your soul. Forgive me…" Ed sobbed as the oldest fell into blissful unconsciousness.

Al fashioned several makeshift bandages from his discarded clothes, dressed his brothers wounds, he then picked them and ran into the night

* * *

"So Rose, my brothers and I paid for our sins. I lost my entire body, big brother Harry lost both his arms, and big brother Ed lost his leg and traded his arm to tie my soul to this suit of armor." Al said solemnly

"Is this what you want, do you have the balls to pay the price for trying to resurrect your family. That's what we tried, and look what happened." Harry spat.

The girl flinched.

"So you want the philosopher's stone so that you can do things right, and bring your mommies and daddy back!" Cornello sneered.

Harry snorted, "Wrong baldy! We've given up on resurrecting our parents. Instead the three of us are focusing on restoring ourselves to how we were before. So give us the stone and we won't break you in half." Harry spat.

Cornello hid his cane behind his back and clasped it in both hands, "You know, I think that it's time… I sent you back to God myself!" the false preacher roared.

His cane began to fluctuate wildly, exploding outward into a humongous rail gun that Cornello aimed at the trio

RATA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

"BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA" Cornello cackled.

"STOP IT! STOP IT!" Rose screamed as she tried to wrench the Gun out of Cornello's hands.

"Stupid girl!" The false prophet snarled.

WHAM!

And pistol whipped her across the cheek with the barrel of his gun.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Harry swore madly as he ran around the hastily transmuted barrier and sprinted toward the falling girl.

He ran up the wall and caught her in his arms, at the height of his momentum, the middle Elric brother back flipped and landed on his feet.

Harry whirled around and spied that his brothers had stationed themselves in front of a newly transmuted door.

"If there isn't an exit, I'll make one!" Ed smirked at the gob-smacked preacher.

The other clergy looked on in shock as the quintuplet burst through the door and dashed down the hall.

"What are you fools doing? After them!" Cornello roared.

The clergy scrambled away from the enraged preacher "Those heretics tried to take my life! KILL THEM ALL!" the false prophet cackled.

At the end of the hall, over a dozen of Cornello's followers crowded the passage in a vain attempt to stop the four from escaping.

"Hold fast men! These people are very strong, and we can't back down just because their little kids…" The head follower orated.

As he rounded the corner, Ed heard the word "little" and went into berserker mode. He shot them a demonic grin as he transmuted his automail into the most evil blade they had ever seen.

"Mommy!" the head follower whimpered.

"AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

WHAM!

"AIEEEEEE!"

SPLAT!

"NOOOOOOOO!"

CHUNCH!

"NOT THE THIRD LEG! NOT THE THIRD LEG! TAKE ANY OTHER LIMB YOU WANT, BUT NOT THE THIRD LEG!"

WHABOOM!

"EEEEEEKKKKKK!"

CRACK!

The three plowed through the followers almost faster than the eye could follow. As they rounded the corner, they spied another group ready to try to stop them. Note the emphasis on the word "try".

"Now, men, don't hold back. In the name of Leto and his child Cornello, we will…"

WHAM!

Al's metallic foot plowed into the back of the leaders head, sending him flying into his fellow clergy with the force of a small truck.

"Sorry about that!" Al giggled, making sure to step on the fallen.

"Excuse me!" Harry chuckled, running over each one.

"Pardon us!" Ed snickered, jumping on them.

Right when the door way out of that place was in sight, Ed skidded to a halt in front of a well furnished office.

"Hey, Rosé, what is this place?" the blonde asked.

"Th-this is where Cornello broadcasts his daily sermons." The bi-haired girl whispered.

Ed smirked evilly. Both Al and Harry knew that look. It was the one that meant a scheme that would either pay off big time, or have an angry mob chasing them with lots of pointy objects later.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the church, the clergyman who was in charge of ringing the bell every twelve hours was about to do his job. When he gripped the rope and gave it a good yank, he almost fell flat on his face.

"What's the holdup? You were supposed to ring the bell!" His subordinate sputtered.

"The bell…" the ringer whispered.

"What about it?"

"It's gone."

"WHAT? HOW, IN LETO'S NAME, DID THAT HAPPEN?"

While that drama was going on, Al crept away with the bell and an armful of pirated broadcasting equipment.

* * *

After all that had happened, Rosé knew that her world had been irrevocably changed. She had so many questions she wanted to ask.

"So…this is alchemy? I can't believe you have do so much to get a simple transmutation!"

"It's true. The entire basis of alchemy is the idea of equivalent exchange. The concept revolves around the principle that all alchemic reactions have to be balanced. You have to be willing to give in order to get. If you mess up…well, you can guess what would happen." Al said.

"After all that happened, your parents must have been brought back right?" Rosé said thoughtfully.

"No. Those…things…we brought back weren't human."

* * *

Years earlier…

Al clutched his brother's mangled bodies to his metallic chest as he looked at the dead putrid amalgamation of flesh and bone that was to have been Trisha Elric. The creatures that were to be James and Lilly Potter had disappeared in the scuffle. If the youngest brother was capable of vomiting, he would have at the first sight of that…thing

"This…this can't be happening! It can't! Your theories were flawless brother!" Al wailed.

"The theory wasn't wrong. We were. The only thing that was wrong was…us." Ed hissed, clutching the bleeding stump of what was once his arm.

* * *

Rosé was cringing by the end of the story.

"So you see, if you continue this way, you'll end up like us. Harry, Ed, and myself, cannot let that happen." Al said flatly as he transmuted the bell and the last of the equipment into a crude speaker system.

* * *

"AHA! I finally found you, you idiotic fool!" Cornello crowed as he spied Ed perched on his desk waiting for him.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm so scared of the third rate hack. What are going to do? Sic the town's people on me? I'm so scared!" the blonde snorted.

"SILENCE! Those dupes will believe whatever I tell them! My pawns will soon sweep this nation clean." The preacher sneered.

"Oh goodness me. I feel so sorry for the people who put so much faith in you!" The eldest brother deadpanned.

"Those pawns are just tools for War! They don't deserve pity! They will die happy thinking they perished for a holy cause! I will lead an unstoppable, unending army, and you will never stop me!" The false prophet howled.

"Heh…heh…BWA-HA-HA-HA!" Ed guffawed.

"What are you laughing about? What could possibly be funny about this?" Cornello sputtered.

"How about this?" Ed chuckled as he held up the switch to turn on the microphone, which hooked up to the makeshift speaker system that Al had transmuted. The entire conversation was blasted out to the entire city. Not one person missed the message.

It took a grand total of two and a half seconds for Cornello's brain to fire up and put together what that switch being flipped to the on position meant.

"You didn't…"

"I did!"

"HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN ON?"

"Oh, ever since that pawns sweeping the country clean comment!"

"You…you… you insufferable BRAT! I'LL KILL YOU!" the preacher bellowed, as he re-transmuted his cane into a rail gun.

"I don't think so. If you would Harry?"

BAM!

SCHLINK!

Harry, who was hidden behind the open door, slammed the portal shut, making Cornello whirl around. Harry slashed the gun in half with his newly transmuted automail arm-blade.

"Do you really think you pieces of scum could stop me so easily? As long as I have the stone, I can recreate my weapons as many times as I need!" Cornello bellowed.

His ring flashed wildly as the light washed over the destroyed ordinance.

When the light show died down, instead of a whole rail gun, Cornello's attempts at transmutation backfired, giving him an arm that was twisted into a mess of random bits of flesh and metal.

"EEEEEYYYYYAAAAA! My arm! IT HURTS!" Cornello shrieked.

Both Harry and Ed gaped as Cornello writhed on the ground, howling in pain as he clutched his mangled limb.

"Harry! Hold him down so I can get the stone!

"IT HURTS!"

"I said hold him still damn it!"

"I'm trying! He's…wiggling too much!"

"Stop it you old bastard! It's a backlash! Plain and simple! Suck it up!"

"MOMMY!"

"I…I almost…I got it! I got the ring!"

As Ed held his prize aloft, the stone cracked and withered away to a fine powder.

"Harry…"

"Yes Ed?"

"Please tell me that I didn't just see what I thought I just saw."

"If what you just saw was the "philosopher's stone" crumbling to dust, I can't do that brother."

"Oh…"

"You! What is this? This can't be the real stone!" the middle brother snarled as he grabbed the false prophet by the collar of his hassock

"I…I don't know! The stone was delivered to me in a package with a note telling me to do whatever I wanted as long as it was in the town of Liore!" Cornello babbled.

"I don't believe this! We were so close! The stone was in our grasp, only to slip through our fingers!" Harry moaned.

_"Heh, the fool! He's not paying attention. If I just creep up behind him, I can use the sharp edge of this pipe jutting out of my hand to do him in."_ Cornello thought.

"Yo, old guy!" Ed growled.

Cornello froze when he remembered that someone else was in the room.

"You drag us here, try to kill us, and make us go to all this trouble, only to find out the stone is FAKE?" The fullmetal alchemist snarled.

He clapped his hands together and slapped them palm first into the ground, the floor rocked violently as the building material gathered in the center of the room, forming a humongous Leto statue.

"WELL, FEEL THE IRON BLOW OF GOD'S WRATH!"

With that, the statue brought its person-sized fist flying toward the false prophet.

WHABOOM!

Only to land inches from him.

Cornello had fainted, froth foaming out of his mouth, eyes rolled up and showing nothing but whites.

* * *

"So, after all of this, the stone turned out to be phony?" Al groaned.

"Yeah, just another dead end." Harry shrugged.

"We were this close to finally getting your body back…" Ed grimaced.

"I more worried about you and Harry! That automail causes you a lot of problems." Al pointed out.

"Oh well, nothing else to do but move on." Harry said flatly as he got to his feet.

"What am I going to do now?"

Ed looked over his shoulder and saw that Rosé was on her knees weeping.

"What am I going to do? Getting my family was the only thing I had to live for." The young girl sobbed.

"I don't know." Ed mumbled.

"Is that all you have to say! You destroy my entire world, rip my hopes and dreams apart and you have the utter **gall **to say you don't know what I am supposed to do?" she shrieked, grabbing him by his shirt collar and shaking him wildly.

"Suck it up. Stand up and walk. Move on. After all, you have a perfectly good pair of legs. Use them." Ed grunted coldly, as he shoved her away roughly and strode past her.

Rose fell to her knees weeping as Ed and his brothers walked away without looking back.

* * *

"BRING OUT CORNELLO! BRING OUT CORNELLO! BRING OUT CORNELLO! BRING OUT CORNELLO! BRING OUT CORNELLO! BRING OUT CORNELLO!" the people of Liore chanted as they pounded on the door, trying to batter their way in so that they could take the head of the false prophet.

The clergy desperately held the door in place, if only to buy their employer a little more time.

Meanwhile, the man in question was making his way toward the meeting chamber where the battle started. If he could just get to his escape tunnel, then he could get away and start over somewhere else.

"Damn it! I was so close! Just a few more months and this region would have been mine!" Cornello growled.

As he stumbled forward, he didn't notice that bits of his prize chimera were scattered around the room, stripped to the bone.

"Ara, ara! (Oh my, oh my!) How the might have fallen!" a sexy contralto voice purred.

Cornello whirled around and spied the source of the voice. It was a woman, and what a woman! She had long red hair that cascaded down to her shapely buttocks and framed her beautiful face in a way that most women would kill for. She wore a form fitting black gown that looked like it was painted on. Simply put, she was a woman that oozed sex appeal and knew it like she knew the back of her hand.

Her companion was another matter entirely. Short and fat, he was about as round as he was tall, with huge muscular arms that looked as wide as tree trunks. All he wore was a full body, sleeveless black jumpsuit. His face was unremarkable, a slightly oversized nose, two squinty piggish eyes, and a mouth that was almost seemed to split his face in half. Add to the fact that he was chewing on the only bit of the chimera with any meat left, revealing teeth that looked to be as large as tombstones, and were faceted like diamonds.

"You have the audacity to show up here, after you people gave me a fake philosopher's stone! The blasted thing shattered like glass!" Cornello raged.

"Did you honestly think that we would be stupid enough to give you the genuine article" the mystery woman drawled, bending over slightly and giving the former preacher a good view down her dress, and the Ouroboros tattoo etched between her breasts.

"But you told me that this stone would help me take over the country!" the fraud barked.

"Yes, I did say something like that. Newsflash, I lied. All we needed was a little mayhem to mask our true goals. And besides, we would never allow a third…no, a fourth rate hack like you to become king of the country." She shrugged.

"Hey lust! Can I eat the old preacher now? Pleeeeease?" the fat one whined.

"No! Someone that old and stringy will give you indigestion, gluttony!" the woman, now known as lust, admonished.

"You…you…you won't make a fool out of me!" Cornello roared, charging at the pair, ready to take a swing at Lust.

SSSSSSS…THUNK!

Lust's pointer finger lengthened and narrowed until it resembled an oversized needle or a lance. She ran it through Cornello's skull until it ripped out of the back of his head with a wet tearing sound.

The last thing the old man before he died saw was the woman sneering at him.

"We're finished. We no longer need a fool like you" she sniffed, wrenching the finger lance out of his skull.

"Oh well, we spread some chaos, that's what we came here to do. But we lost a stone. Father won't like that one bit."

Gluttony giggled as he hefted the body up and leered at it, his long thick tongue lolled out past his chin, revealing an identical mark to the one between Lust's boobs singed onto the oral muscle.

"Now…what should we do next?"

SMACK!

CRUNCH!

"Hey! I told you not to eat that!"

Glossary of Terms for this Chapter

Philosophers Stone: the legendary alchemic amplifier that allows alchemists to transmute without fearing a back lash. In theory, one with the stone would even be capable of performing human transmutation without suffering any harm.

Lust: A mysterious woman with unusual powers. She has the ability to lengthen her fingers into unbreakable lances, able to cut through or stab anything.

Gluttony: Another mysterious individual. He is considerably less intelligent than his partner. He has imprinted her as something of a mother figure in his eyes. He can eat anything or anyone. His saliva is a powerful acid, his jaws can crush solid steel, and his teeth are sharper than diamonds.

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	5. Chapter 4: The Battle on the Rails

Chapter 4: the battle on the train

Two words big brother… anger management!- Harry

It was several weeks after the Liore incident, a small train was traveling at a decent pace toward East City. Among the passengers were General Hakuro and his family, all going on a long awaited vacation.

"WHEEE! Daddy! The train is going soooo fast!" little Amelia cheered.

"Heh… if you keep bouncing around like that, bumble bee, you'll tucker yourself out!" her mother admonished.

"Didn't you promise daddy that we would play after we get there?" Hakuro chuckled.

"Yes papa…" the girl sighed.

"Is it all right for you to just take time off like this? I wouldn't want you to get into trouble." Adriana murmured softly.

"Yeah, it's perfectly fine. I was finally able to take some time…" her husband trailed off.

The sound of the door opening behind him stopped the general in mid sentence, Hakuro reached for his pistol, only to be stopped in his tracks when one of the pair of toughs on either side of the door pulled a rifle on him and pointed it right between his eyes.

A third figure slunk out of the shadows and stood between the other two. He was shorter then both of them, but infinitely more dangerous. His body was hidden underneath a ragged cloak. His face was swarthy and he was missing an eye, the wound was covered a ragged strip of leather serving as a makeshift eye patch.

"I'm sorry for screwin' up your family vacation, general. But you are a surprisingly difficult man to get a hold of." The mystery man sneered.

The two thugs on rather side of him cocked their guns.

"Your 'fun family vacation' is now over." He said flatly.

* * *

Meanwhile, many miles away in the Eastern City military headquarters, a meeting was being held.

"The high-jacked train is the 18759 express from New Opitan to East City. The hostage situation was instigated by a radical eastern terrorist group codenamed, 'The Blue Squad'." said Lt. Hawkeye, master sharpshooter and personal aid to Colonel Roy Mustang, the head of the eastern military headquarters.

"And their manifesto?" the colonel in question asked.

"It arrived less then a half hour ago."

"Let me guess, nothing but a bunch of insults, right?"

"Correct."

The two walked briskly into the command center, "So, they're demanding the release of their leader. The man we captured last month during that bombing scare at the hospital."

"Again, correct."

"Please tell me that his is an elaborate ruse, and that General Hakuro isn't really on that train." Mustang groaned.

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir. We're confirming the passenger list, but the most likely scenario is that Hakuro has been held hostage."

Mustang sighed, "This stinks! I had a hot date tonight…" the superior officer whined.

"It wouldn't hurt you to have an overtime date with us every once in a while." Second Lt. Breda grunted.

"I guess the only course of action is for the good general to sacrifice his life so that we can wrap this up!" Mustang said brightly.

"Don't be ridiculous sir!" sputtered master sergeant Kain Fuery as he handed his CO the passenger manifest.

"Ah man, old man Hakuro really is on board with his family!" Second Lt Havoc muttered.

Mustang sighed, "Good grief! The general knows perfectly well that the situation is unstable out east, and yet he still decides to take a vacation. Hold up…"

Everyone in the room turned toward the colonel, curiosity evident in their eyes.

"I think that we can go home earlier that we expected. The Fullmetal and the Evil Eye Alchemist are on board." He smirked.

* * *

While Mustang was planning, the alchemists in question were resting. Al was looking out the window, Harry was reading, and Ed was napping. The armored brother and his older sibling tensed when several men toting shotguns trooped into the rail car, menacing the other passengers.

Harry twitched when one of them broke away from the group and made their way towards them.

"How the fuck can this kid sleep during a hostage situation?" the thug snorted.

The man's temper snapped, "HEY! Act more like a hostage, shrimp!"

Ed's eyes snapped open. As he glared at the gun toting lackey, a horrible weight seemed to settle over the man, he felt terror beyond anything he had ever experienced before, even their boss, Bald, had ever inspired a pure unadulterated dread like this.

"Y-y-you got a beef with me? You wanna make somethin' of it?" the thug shuddered as he hefted his gun.

Ed clapped his hands around the barrel of the gun, a flash lit up the rail car. When the grunts vision cleared, his gun was made totally useless. The barrel had been lengthened and twisted into a spiral, widening into a funnel that pointed at his face. If he fired the gun as it was now, then it would either blow up, or go off in his face.

"What the…" the thug gasped.

CRACK!

But, he was interrupted in mid sentence as Ed backhanded the Blue Squad member and sent him flying.

CLICK!

The eldest brother's eyes narrowed when the second gunman pointed his firearm between Ed's eyes.

"That wasn't too bright kid. We were ordered to dispose of anyone who caused any trouble, including little punks like…

THWACK!

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MIDGET SO SMALL YOU NEED A MAGNIFYING GLASS TO SEE HIM?"

BANG!

"SO TINY THAT HE COULD DANCE ON THE HEAD OF A PIN?"

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

"A FLEA SIZED ULTRA SHRIMP?"

"I DIDN'T SAY ANY OF THAT!" the goon yowled.

"Stop brother! You'll kill him if you keep this up!" Alphonse bawled.

"Who is this guy?" the eldest brother asked, pausing in mid-punch.

"He subconsciously acted on the word short, didn't he?" was the collective thought of everyone in the rail car.

"Two words big brother… anger management!" Harry scowled.

* * *

Minutes later, after the brothers interrogated the only remaining conscious thug…

"Other than us two, there are two guarding the engine car, four guarding the general, and four more of us spread though out the passenger cars, guarding the hostages." The Blue squad member slurred woozily.

"And…" Ed said brightly, motioning to Harry, who had his arm blades positioned on either side of the goon's neck like scissors, one wrong move and the man's skull would be popped off like a cork from a wine bottle

"That it, really!" he yelped, eyeing the razor sharp blades resting against his neck.

"What are we going to do? There are still ten of them! If those terrorists find out about this, they'll kill us all!" one of the passengers wailed.

"If somebody hadn't over reacted, we could have negotiated and ended this peacefully!" Harry growled, shooting his older brother an evil look.

"You can't move on if you keep living in the past!" the oldest brother proclaimed lamely.

"Our only option is to take these thugs out one by one." Al said.

"You two take care of things down here, I'll go up top and clear out the engine." The blond instructed.

"Got it!" Al nodded.

"We'll handle thing bro, don't worry!" Harry agreed as his older brother climbed out the window.

"GAH! WIND PRESSURE! WIND PRESSURE!" Ed yelped as the airstream almost tore him off the train.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" was the collective thought of every passenger there.

* * *

"Huh, that's odd. The guys in the other cars aren't picking up…" one of the Blue Squad members who were guarding the passengers grumbled as he made his way to the back.

"I'm goin' to take a look…" the man drawled to his fellow guard as he opened the door…

And came face to face-plate with Al.

"ACK!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

"NO! Watch out for the…" Al yelped.

TING! TING! TING! TING! TING! TING!

"AUGH!"

"Ricochet…" Al finished lamely.

"What the fuck is goin'…ACK!" the second guard gaped, cocking his gun.

Only to be stopped in his tracks when Harry slid between his little brothers legs and bicycle kicked the guard in the face, knocking him on his butt. The thug snarled and cocked his gun.

"NO! You'll get hit with the…

"RATA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!"

"ARGH!"

"Ricochet…again…"

"Are you people idiots?" the middle brother sighed.

* * *

"Yo…Bald, the men in the rear cars aren't responding." The thug manning the switchboard growled.

"We got some rats on board." Their leader said flatly.

"Impossible! We eliminated all the escorts, and cut all lines of communication with the outside. The passengers shouldn't be able to call for help!" one of Bald's subordinates sputtered.

"Then do we have a traitor in our ranks?" another asked.

"No way!" the first one snorted.

"Humph. Just like I thought, the lot of you are nothing but trash! As soon as something goes wrong, you all panic like rats on a sinking ship! You won't get away with this! If you all surrender now, you might get a chance at…" Hakuro sneered.

POW!

One of the thugs slammed the butt of his pistol into the side of the general's head, knocking him to the floor.

"If you don't stay quiet you old fart, I'm gonna..." the man snarled, only to be silence by his leader's only visible hand on his shoulder.

"This kind of violence won't do anything against a stubborn old man who doesn't know hot to keep his trap shut. One thing I learned from my brief stint in the military is that you have to know which buttons to push to get a reaction." Bald growled.

The expression's of the general and his wife turned ashen the moment they saw him leering at their daughter.

"Grab the girl." the leader said shortly.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Adriana Hakuro shrieked as one of the thugs approached her and Amelia.

"MOMMY! MOMMY" the little girl wailed as she was torn away.

Amelia's mother made a frantic grab for her only child, only to have little Amelia snatched away when the blue squad member shoved her back.

The youngest daughter trembled violently as Bald subordinate set her down next to his commander.

"And now you two are going to learn the price for mouthing off." the cloaked man said coldly.

"Give me your left arm." he growled at the youngest hostage.

The little girl shook her head.

"I said give me your arm." He said again.

Hakuro's daughter shook her head even more violently.

BANG!

Every one in the car jumped as a bullet ripped from the depths of Bald's cloak and punched a hole in the floor inched from the child's right foot.

"I'm going to ask you one more time...give me your fucking arm or I swear that the next bullet will blow your foot to kingdom come. And trust me when I say that I don't miss.

The Hakuro daughter quaked as she held the requested limb out.

Bald flipped his cloak back, revealing an model automail arm with an unusual attachment in place of the lower part of his arm, an automatic rifle. he aimed the assault weapon at her forearm.

BANG!

"EEK!" Amelia yowled as the lower half of her arm disintegrated into a spray of blood, bone fragments, and pulped muscle.

Bald coldly shoved the weeping child away from him and into her sobbing mother's arms.

"I swear that I will see you killed slowly." The general hissed

"Just try it, and see what happens. the Blue Squad commander leered.

Clank...clank...clank

The leader looked up as soon as he heard foot steps running above them.

"RATA-TATA-TATA-TATA-TATA-TATA-TAT!" the terrorist's rifle arm barked, chewing holes in the train car roof.

"OUCH!" the roof runner yelped.

"We got ourselves a hero. Snuff him out." Bald snarled at his nearest flunky.

"Got it!" the man grunted, scaling the ladder to the roof.

* * *

Ed crouched in the gap between two of the rail cars, nursing the hole in his left boot where the bullet struck. He pulled off his shoe and eyed the projectile lodged in the space between his sole and heel plates of his automail leg.

"WHOO! That was too close for comfort! If that was a few more inches to the left, I would have been Swiss cheese!" Ed snorted as he pried the bullet out and pocketed it. You never know when a spent bullet might just come in handy!

"First on my list of things to do is kick those goons so hard their grannies will feel it! Oh, and recapture the engine car too." The oldest Elric brother added as an afterthought.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the engine car, the conductors were busy doing their job.

Now, this might seem normal, but the main difference at that moment was that they were doing it at gunpoint. One of them threw a poisonous look at their captors, earning him a slap on the back of the head from his fellow worker.

"Keep your head down, out you might find a bullet buried in your skull!" the train operator hissed.

Tink…tink…tink…

One of the guards looked down and scooped up the tiny object that flew thought the window: a spent bullet.

"What that hell?" the man blinked, eyeing the foreign object curiously.

WHAM!

Ed flew through the window and slammed his boot into the back of the man's head, sending him face first into one of the pipes.

The second guard cocked his gun and aimed at the intruder.

WHAM!

That is, until one of the conductors slammed his shovel into his head, knocking him on his face.

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

And the both of them beat him until he stopped moving.

The conductors nodded gratefully as Ed clambered back out the window.

"Anything we can do to help?" the conductor yelled over the roar of the engine.

"Yeah, just keep this rig going until we reach East City." The blonde answered as he hauled himself up the tender car.

"There you are little mousy, time to say goodbye!" one of the thugs sneered as he aimed his shotgun at the blond who had entered his line of sight.

"Uh oh…" Ed gulped.

BANG!

"GACK!" Ed yelped as he scrambled to safety.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE FIRING THAT THING ASSHOLE!" Ed barked.

A flash momentarily blinded the mercenary, when his vision cleared, he was staring down the barrel of a newly transmuted cannon as big as he was.

WHA-BOOM!

"GAH!"

The man tumbled back into the car interior, barely dodging the cannonball the almost took his head off.

"Watch it! Don't mess with the tender car! It's the lifeblood of this train!" the engineer roared.

"Sorry!" Ed chuckled lamely. His expression turned thoughtful as he pictured the interior working of the combination water and coal container.

* * *

"BALD! We got trouble! The guy scaling the train is some kind of freak! He pulled a cannon out of nowhere and almost took my head off!" the goon who was on the roof babbled.

"Hey! Car two! Please respond! What's going on back there!" the mercenary on the switchboard yelled.

"HELP! Some nut job in a suit of armor is tearing through us like tissue paper! He has some kind of demon with him! Send help! We can't last much…hey! Leggo! Hands off!"

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP! The switchboard droned.

"I'm sorry! The person you have dialed is no longer in service…please stick your heads between your legs and kiss your butts goodbye!" a voice snickered.

CRACK!

The terrorists whirled around and gaped at the odd looking pipe line that apparently led outside the train car materialized out of nowhere. What was unusual about the tube was the metal pigtail jutting out the back of the bulb like head with bulging eyes and a funnel like mouth.

"Attention all terrorists, assorted thugs, criminals, and hostages, we have recaptured the rear cars and the engine room. The only ones left standing are all of you. Release the hostages and surrender. Failure to do so will result in pain and humiliation on your part. You have been warned." Ed's voice said cheerfully.

"FUCK YOU! As long as we have the hostages, you can't touch us!" Bald roared.

"Dear oh dear. So you still have some fight left in you? Guess I'll just have to do something about that!"

A huge pipe materialized from the wall, seemingly leading outside as well.

"Will all the hostages please take cover? Things are about to get a little…soggy."

Blad's eye bulged as he realized the implication of what Ed had just said, and what that tube was; a water pipe.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIV…" the leader roared.

SPLOOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH!

Water from the tender car flooded the passenger car and sent the terrorists flying.

"GLUB-GLUB!"

"BWAAA!"

"GAH!"

"BLUGA! BLUG!"

Al opened the door and the sodden terrorists spilled into the passenger car.

"Welcome…" Al growled as he loomed over the dazed rebels.

"And feel free to stay a while." The dark haired boy leered

The terrorists could only gape as the "man" in the massive suit of armor and the "three eyed demon slipped" into ready stances.

"No…no! I won't let it end like this! We still have the hostages! You can't touch us!" Bald bellowed, surging to his feet and cocking his arm gun.

Ed decided to make his appearance at that moment. He dropped thought the skylight, arm blade at the ready.

"Let's dance…" the blond scowled.

"You...PUNK! EAT THIS!" the terrorist roared as he aimed his rifle arm.

THUNK!

Ed'd knife speared the gun barrel and knocked the man's shot off course.

WHAM!

BANG!

SCHLINK!

Bald got hit three times at once, Ed jerked his blade to the side, slicing away a massive chunk of the terrorists arm gun, while Al and Harry slammed their fists into both side's of Bald's head, sending him to dreamland.

* * *

It was several hours later that the train had finally arrived. The entrance made for an odd sight because several MPs were leading the anarchists by chained collars. The three brothers ignored the General's hostile glare as he led his daughter away.

Ed scowled when he spied who was waiting for him on the platform.

"Hello Fullmetal, Al, Jagan!" Mustang greeted.

"Colonel, sir!" Harry saluted, clicking his heels.

"Hello Colonel." Al said brightly.

"Hello mother &#^$&" Ed glowered.

"Always the belligerent one, as usual Ed." The eldest brother's superior said smugly.

"Humph! I would have gone in the opposite direction if I had remembered that this was your district." The oldest brother sneered as Al and Harry wisely moved off to speak with Lt. Hawkeye.

"I see you still haven't found a way to fix yourselves." The trio's CO observed, spying Ed's uncovered metallic hand.

"No, we researched text after text but came up with squat. I pulled another all nighter the other day. But our plan for now is to search through the East City archives and libraries for a solution." Ed said softly looking at his metallic arm with an almost inscrutable expression.

"I've heard quite a few rumors about your actions as of late. You and Harry seem to be building quite a reputation for yourselves."

"You always did have a habit of poking your nose where it didn't belong…" Ed growled.

"It's only because you have to make a ruckus wherever you go. Ever heard of the word subtlety?"

"What about you? Ever heard of the phrase bite m…"

"GAH!"

"AUGH!"

Ed and the colonel whirled around and were shocked to see Bald back on his feet, and his guards down for the count with various slash wounds, a length of metal protruding from the remains of his mechanical arm.

"A concealed knife! Should have thought to check for that…" the Fullmetal alchemist grimaced.

"Stand back colonel!" Hawkeye deadpanned, but her CO brushed her aside.

"It'll be fine. I can handle this one on my own." Mustang said evenly.

Bald let out a war cry as he charged the group, weapon poised at the ready.

Several things happened in the next several seconds that left every one gaping in shock.

The colonel stood his ground, pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a glove with a transmutation circle etched on the back, he then snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

Bald stopped in his tracks when a multitude of orange and red lights began to glow around him.

WHOOSH!

"EEEEAAARRRGGGHHH" the terrorist howled as those lights exploded and sheets of flame coated every inch of his body.

The extremist collapsed in a charred heap when the fames extinguished. The MPs dove on him and wrapped him from head to toe in chains.

"I went easy on you. I made it hot enough to toast the outer layer of skin and your clothes, but not much else. If I wasn't feeling as generous, I would have burned you to ashes." The dark haired colonel smirked.

"What…what the hell are you?" Bald hissed.

"I'm Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame alchemist. Remember it!" he responded.

Glossary for this chapter

Colonel Roy Mustang: Known as the Flame alchemist (due to his alchemic pyrokinetic talents). He is an acclaimed military hero who is known far and wide for his deeds during the Ishval rebellion years earlier. He was the one that recruited the Elric brothers for the alchemy program. He may act like a playboy and a womanizer, but that façade hides a keen mind (not to say that he doesn't enjoy wooing any woman that catches his eye).

Lt. Riza Hawkeye: Mustang's loyal right hand. She is an expert sharpshooter who almost never misses her mark. She saved the Colonel's life many times while he was in the front lines. A little known fact is that she is the daughter of Roy's old alchemy teacher, who taught him everything he knows about flame alchemy. Her father created a transmutation circle that could create flames that could level a city. He destroyed his notes and had the last copy of the circle tattooed on his only daughter's back. When she found out what the mark was years later, she asked the colonel to burn the circle off her so that it could never be used against innocent people.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	6. Chapter 5: Night of the Chimera

**As I said earlier, I don't own Harry Potter or Fullmetal Alchemist. I don't own the song Bink's Sake either, that belongs to Eichiro Oda. I'm just borrowing all this for my own amusement.**

**Also, I borrowed the concept of Langdon's uncontrolled transformation from the DC character, Man-Bat.**

**In honor of Thanksgiving, I'm holding a two for one sale on updates.**

Chapter 5: Night of the Chimera's Cry

I hate perceptive brats like you- Shou Tucker

The soldiers could only look on in shock and awe as the members of the military police dragged the charred extremist away.

"I never get tired of seeing the colonel blow thing up!" Harry chuckled dryly.

"H-h-how did he do that?" One of the soldiers gasped.

"Oh, this is the first time you seen Mustang use his flames?" Second Lt. havoc blinked.

"Yeah…"

"Well the process itself is fairly simple. The colonel adjusts the oxygen level in the air around the target, creates a spark using the ignition cloth in his gloves, and by snapping his fingers…." Havoc explained.

"Instant controlled fires!" Harry finished.

"If you two are finished telling all my secrets, don't you and Fullmetal have a debriefing to get to?" Mustang drawled at Harry.

"Sorry Mustang, but the ladies in the secretary pool probably got reeeal lonely without me! I gotta go boost their moral! I'll be seeing you later!" the middle brother smirked, strolling past them.

"Oh no you don't! Go flirt on your own time! If I have to suffer through a sarcasm marathon from his royal pain in the butt-ness, then you do too!" Ed growled, catching his little brother by the collar and dragging him along.

"ACK! I'm glad you're giving me a choice in the matter!" Harry yelped.

* * *

Later that day, the trio of Ed, Harry and Colonel Mustang were gathered around the CO's desk. Harry was sulking, and Ed was grinning from ear to ear.

"You owe me for this colonel! I went to all the trouble to gift wrap these terrorists for you, only to have them almost slip through your fingers!" Ed grinned smugly.

"I don't know why, but the idea of being in debt to you sends chills down my spine…All right! I give! What do you want…" Mustang frowned.

"Our needs are quite simple. All we want is for you to let us access a better library or introduce us to a state alchemist who specializes in bio alchemy." Harry answered briskly.

"And we need it now!" Ed added.

THWACK!

Harry clipped Ed on the back of the head, "Try to show a little patience bro!" the middle brother scowled.

"You're just sore because I cut into your flirting time…" Ed snorted.

Harry's reply consisted of a single up-raised digit.

"My, my, someone is in a hurry!" Mustang commented, ignoring the brother's antics as he rifled through filing cabinet.

"Humph! Our bodies won't fix themselves you know!" the oldest brother grunted.

"But it's been so long since we last talked. Let's chat over a cup of tea…" Mustang drawled sarcastically.

"What's fun about havin' tea with you…" the blond snarled.

"Whatever…hah! Here it is!" the colonel nodded as he pulled a file out.

"Here's an alchemist who specializes in the artificial synthesis of a hybrid creature when sacrificing two or more genetically dissimilar organisms. In short, someone who specializes in the creation of chimera." Mustang said, handing the brothers the file. On it was a picture of an unassuming man in a tailored suit, thinning straw colored hair and coke-bottle glasses.

"Shou Tucker, the sewing-life alchemist huh?" Harry mumbled.

"He's the only man in the history of alchemy who was able to create a chimera that could speak. That was what he accomplished to earn his title." Mustang explained as they made their way to a car waiting outside.

"WOW! A chimera that can talk! How is that possible?" Al gasped as he joined the conversation.

"Darned if I know. I wasn't in charge at the time, so I never saw it. However, I do know one thing. The creature croaked shortly after its creation. It said only one thing. 'I want to die.' " Their CO shrugged as the vehicle took off.

Ed winced.

"The thing refused to eat and soon starved to death." The colonel finished.

a half hour later, the car finally pulled up to a rather lavish three story estate. The Elric trio could only look on in awe at the sight.

"Wow! This house is huge!" Ed gaped as he walked up the cobble stone path to the front door. The three waited as Mustang knocked on the door.

"WOOF!"

"YIPES!"

Ed only had time to let out a startled yelp as a dog the size of a small horse tackled him to the ground and sat on him.

"Bad dog! Bad Alexander! Don't jump on the guests!" Shou Tucker said sharply as he opened the door.

"Yeah! Bad Alexander! Bad!" mimicked a little blonde girl no older than six, Tucker's daughter Nina.

Ed's muffled obscene reply made Harry cover his eyes, Al his mouth, and Shou cover his daughter's ears. As soon as the rant ceased (and Tucker pulled his canine of Ed) the group made their way into the interior of the mansion.

"Pardon the mess, but I'm afraid that since my wife left me, I've lacked a woman's touch to assist me to keep the place neat…" the sewing life alchemist chuckled wryly.

"How do you do, I'm Shou Tucker, the sewing life alchemist." The chimera researcher nodded at the Elric brothers as he took a seat.

"Ed and Harry are interested in biological transmutation, would it be possible to examine some of your research?" Mustang pressed.

"Of course, but I have a single concession. If I'm to lay all my cards on the table, shouldn't you as well?" Tucker nodded at Harry and Ed.

"But…" the Flame Alchemist interjected.

"Please colonel, wait a second." Harry interrupted as he and his older brother unbuttoned their coats.

"It an equivalent exchange after all." Ed nodded.

"My God in heaven…" the sewing life alchemist gasped, spying their metal limbs.

* * *

Later.

"I see, so you all lost your family. That's what drove you to tamper with human transmutation." Nina's father said sadly.

"I told my superiors that their missing limbs and Al's soul infused suit of armor was the byproduct of a bombing during the eastern rebellion. As you well know, if anyone were to discover the truth, Harry and Ed would be locked up, and Al would be used as a guinea pig. So can I count on your discretion?" Mustang asked.

"Of course, we all have skeletons in our closets. I would be a hypocrite to reveal the secrets of such promising young alchemists." Tucker nodded as he got to his feet and gestured for his house guests to follow him. No one noticed the odd look that Harry gave the man upon that statement.

The Sewing life alchemist led the four down into the lower levels of the compound.

The group stopped next to a nondescript door, Shou pulled a small bronze key chain out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Harry and Ed winced when the small of decaying flesh, blood and feces hit them.

The room was large, about twice the size of the living room where they first met. It was lined from floor to ceiling with cages. Those cages were occupied by a menagerie of nightmarish freaks of nature. All ranging from a massive unidentifiable snake with a head so large that it was incapable of moving. Also, a screaming monkey with three heads (one of which was clearly dead, ripped apart by the other two). And a severed goats head floating in some unidentifiable liquid; but on closer inspection, the eyes were still rolling as it gave the occasional twitch: the poor monster was still alive.

"I might be an expert on chimera, but really this field in nothing but a lot of false starts and many more failures." Shou shrugged, looking dispassionately at the miserable creatures in the cages. The alchemists quickly made their way past the kennel and into another room.

"This is my file room, the place where I store all of my research data. Please try to keep it neat. It took me forever to get this area organized." the Sewing life alchemist pleaded.

Harry nodded absently as he made his way deeper into the stacks a picked out a volume.

"I'll take this side. Harry, you take the north end, Al you take the west!" Ed ordered.

"Uh huh…" Harry grunted, still lost in the text.

"Ok." the youngest nodded.

"I'm going to head back to headquarters. Someone will be back to pick you up later." Mustang nodded.

Al was the only one to respond. Harry and Ed were lost in their own little world of alchemical theory.

"Those boys are incredibly focused aren't they? Once they lose themselves, next to nothing can bring them back to reality." Shou commented to Mustang as the home owner showed his superior officer the way back.

* * *

It was later that Harry was finally brought back to reality by the sound of yelling and barking coming from outside. The three eyed alchemist winced when he saw that several hours had passed, and that their escort was going to be there any minute. The evil eye alchemist made his way through the stacks and snickered at the sight of Ed once again getting sat on by Alexander. All while Nina, Alphonse, and second Lt. Havoc shot him amused looks.

* * *

Soon after the group left…

Tucker was lost in thought. Second Lt Havoc had reminded him before the Elrics left that his assessment was approaching. And he had nothing to show his superiors. If he wasn't able to produce results and soon, he would be booted out of the program, and his daughter would be out on the street.

"Daddy, what's an as-sess-ment?" Nina asked.

"Well kitten when someone becomes a state alchemist, once a year, they have to report the results of their research. And if they don't get a good evaluation, they get their license revoked. Daddy didn't get a good evaluation last year. If I fail again, I won't be a state alchemist anymore." Her father said solemnly.

'Don't worry daddy! You always work hard! Those poopie heads won't know what hit them!" Nina chirped.

"Yes, but this is my last chance…" Tucker mumbled.

* * *

"Ed. I don't trust Tucker." Harry said flatly, later that night.

"Huh? Why? He seems nice enough." Ed blinked.

"Something about him makes me uneasy…" the three-eyed alchemist shrugged.

"Well, what is it?" Al asked

"Darned if I know, something about him makes my skin crawl." Harry grunted.

* * *

The next day.

"So what happened to your mother?" Al asked.

Nina shrugged, "Papa said that she went back to live with her mother. She said that he was a 'do nothing dunderhead alchemist'."

"It must be kind of lonely without your mother around." The middle brother said sadly.

"No, I'm ok. I have Daddy and Alexander! But it's a little lonesome because Daddy's cooped up in his lab all the time." Tucker's daughter pouted.

A beat.

Ed straightened up, his movement accompanied by a series of pops as his got to his feet.

"Ugh! I'm all stiff from being cooped up here all day!" Ed moaned.

"Try some exercise brother! That should help!" the youngest Elric suggested.

"Good idea!" Ed nodded turning toward Alexander.

"Hey Mutt! I'm gonna play with you for exercise!" the full metal alchemist nodded fiercely.

"Come on Nina!" Harry chuckled as he scooped the little girl up and put her on his shoulders.

* * *

All the while, Shou Tucker sobbed brokenly as he struggled to come up with something to show his superiors.

* * *

The next morning, the Elrics were lounging when Harry came to a decision.

_"I think it's about time that I took a closer look at the sewing life alchemist."_ Harry thought.

"I'm gonna be heading out for a little while. I'll be back tonight." Harry said as he made his way out.

"Be back before they lock this place down for the night." Ed instructed sleepily.

"No prob." Harry smirked.

* * *

Later…

It was relatively simple enough to break into the lower levels of the Tucker compound. Harry just used his Alchemy to displace bricks in the outer wall, then the dirt in a blind spot in the yard to form a tunnel.

From there he made his way through the shadows and into the specimen kennel. The sight Harry saw there would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Nina and Alexander, bound and gagged in the center of a over sized transmutation circle.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Harry roared.

"Why I'm just making the next great alchemical discovery!" Tucker giggled, ignoring the frantic pleading look in his daughter's eyes.

"Like hell you are! Now step away from the circle and you won't be hurt." Harry spat as he clapped his hands together.

"Not. Gonna. Happen!" Tucker grinned, stepping on a hidden switch.

CLUNK!

"GAH!"

Harry let out a surprised yelp as the floor was pulled out from under him, sending him tumbling into a hidden underground chamber.

"Play nice with Doctor Langdon! He tends to get…nervous…rather easily." Tucker tittered as the floor resealed itself.

"When I get outta here, I'm gonna rip you a new blow hole you piss poor excuse for a man!" Harry bellowed.

The evil eye alchemist seethed as he felt his way along the dimly lit tunnel. The rock the tunnel was made out of was crumbly and uneven. "Damn. It's all made out of composite stone. If I try to transmute this without knowing its total makeup, I'll cause a backlash and lose another limb!" Harry growled.

Several minutes passed...

CLONG!

"OW!" the middle Elric yelped, minutes later, as his head collided with the door at the end of the tunnel.

He felt around until his hand encountered a door handle.

"Maybe this is a way out of this trap…" the dark haired Elric grunted, even though he knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

The three eyed boy slowly opened the door and peered inside, the room was an empty storage closet with row after row of unused shelving and exposed pipes. The thing that made Harry's eyes widen in surprise was the old man chained to the wall at the opposite end of the room. He had a strange breathing mask strapped to his face with tubes leading into the walls and out of sight.

"Are you ok sir? Let me get you loose!" the middle brother said as he prepared to transmute the chains into something easily broken.

"NO! Don't set me loose! I don't want to kill anyone again…" the stranger whimpered weakly.

"What do you mean, no offense, but you look like you couldn't hurt a fly. Let alone kill anyone.

"No…not me personally, my chimera aspect."

"Huh?"

"I'm doctor Langdon. I was Tuckers research assistant. He convinced me to take part in an experimental chimera transmutation to try to boost my physical abilities. But it utterly failed. When ever I get nervous or agitated, I turn into that thing!" he wailed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tucker turned the valves on a pair of gas tanks that led blow ground…

* * *

"Now when that lunatic needs someone to disappear, he pumps me full of that gas of his and…

HIIIIISSSSSSSS…

"NO! NOT AGAIN!"

Langdon clawed at his face as he tried to rip the mask off, but Harry realized that Tucker had somehow screwed the latex face mask to the poor man's jaw line.

Harry backed away and looked on in mute horror as the violet gas made its way into the mask, forcing the grey haired man to breathe it in.

"NNNGGGH! No, for the love of god, NOT AGAIN!"

That was when Harry remembered Tucker's lat words to him "Play nice with Doctor Langdon! He tends to get…nervous…rather easily."

The middle brother watched as the man body changed. Webbing grew between the man's torso and his arms, forming huge bat wings. His feet melted together and formed hooves, like a bulls. His normally fail, slender chest ballooned outward as his muscles expanded to the size of a body builders. His head bulged as the majority of his face was replaced by a wickedly cruel, hooked beak. A scorpion's tail grew out of his back and arched over his head. His transformation was completed by a set of ram horns that replaced the hair that had retracted into his scalp.

"SCREEEEE!" the nightmarish creature howled.

"Bring it!" Harry spat, slipping into a ready stance, third eye blazing

That was the moment the chimera snapped the chains and attacked, now hungry for blood.

The monster lunged forward and slashed at Harry's face, the blow would have taken his head off, had the boy not ducked below the jab.

WH-WH—WHAM-WHAM!

The middle Elric slammed a series of lightning fast punches into Chimera/Langdon's gut, and followed up with a snap kick to the head, winding the creature and knocking it on its back.

The monster lashed out with its legs, knocking him forward. Harry landed awkwardly on the beast as the Chimera grappled with Harry. The two rolled until they collided with a wall, with Harry on the bottom.

Harry maneuvered his legs under the chest of the beast and kicked it off of him.

Using the reprieve to his advantage, Harry darted over to the exposed piping and ripped off a five foot long section. He gave the improvised bo-staff an experimental twirl and slipped into a bo-jutsu stance. The chimera ran at the three eyes boy on all fours. Harry dug his staff into the ground and pole vaulted over the wild lunge. He whirled around in mid air and brought his pipe staff down on the monster's head

Harry stalked toward the beast, but it wasn't as stunned as Harry thought. It surged to it feet and slammed him with a resounding head-butt.

CRACK!

Harry stumbled back dazed as he tried to clear the cobwebs that infused his head.

The beast tackled him to the ground and raised his clawed hands, preparing to carve him apart like a turkey.

THWACK!

Harry jerked his head to the side just in time to avoid being impaled in five two inch claws.

The three eyed boy gulped nervously as he eyed the stiletto like claws thrust into the ground only inched from his right eye.

"So…um…who does your nails…erk!"

The chimera wrenched his claws out the concrete and jabbed wildly at Harry's face.

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

THWACK!

The middle Elric dodged just as quickly, jerking his head from side to side. He brought his knee up and slammed it into the chimera's crotch, the monster let out a falsetto squeal of pain and jumped off of Harry.

The middle Elric took advantage of the momentary pause to delve into his bag of purloined techniques. A transmutation circle with a pair of lightning bolts in the center blazed on the back of his automail hand.

"Here's a little trick I picked up from a man known as the Raiden Alchemist!" the middle Elric growled.

SNAP!

He snapped his fingers; the motion was accompanied by an ultra bright flash and a roar like a jet engine. The light and noise deafened and blinded the monster.

Harry kicked the creature under the chin and knocked it into the air. Harry leapt up and arched his leg to pound the creature in the head and slam it to the pavement. Only to have it flap it wings and knock it out of position. With Harry out of position, the chimera slammed his fists into the back of his head, sending the boy tumbling to the unforgiving concrete below.

Harry landed on one of his automail arms, he felt something give as the limb went limp.

"SHIT! Not good!" Harry gulped.

The chimera dive bombed Harry and tackled him to the ground, the boy used his one remaining limb to try to hold the creature back as it snapped at his face.

He frantically tried to wiggle out from under the beast, anything to get a bit of purchase so he could slip away. He lashed out with his head and butted Langdon/Chimera in the face.

Harry scrambled to his feet and ducked behind one of the rows of shelves. He frantically ripped open the shoulder plate and tried to fix the inner workings of his mechanical arm.

As the creature prowled around the shelves, Harry desperately probed for any loose wires and tried to find what was wrong.

"SCREEE!" the amalgamation crowed as it zeroed in on Harry.

Harry grasped the loose wire and plugged it back into the appropriate socket. His arm surged to life, the three eyed boy transmuted his arm plate into a short blade. He slashed it in a wide arc and cut it across the face from the tip of its nose, through its cheek, and severed one of its horns.

"SCREE! SCREE! SCREE!" Chimera Langdon howled. He flailed frantically and managed to backhand Harry through several rows of shelves.

WHAM!

BANG!

CRUNCH!

The boy landed in an awkward dazed heap on the other side of the room, head spinning from the flight and sudden impact.

Harry gingerly stumbled to his feet, wincing from every movement of his abused body. The chimera stalked out from the shadows, bleeding heavily from the gash to the head.

Both combatants knew on some level that the battle would end within the next few minutes.

The green eyed alchemist pulled another technique out from under his hat, this time learned from the frozen heavens alchemist. A transmutations circle with a snow flake in the center glowed on the back of the middle Elric's metallic hand. Moisture began to condense on the boy's mechanical arm, forming link after link until it ended in a long length of ice shaped to look like a chain. At the end of the links was an ice ball the size of Harry's fist

The beast lunged for Harry, jaws snapping, but the boy sidestepped and slammed the ice orb into the chimera's skull. The creature staggered back as the blows rained down on its head and body.

Wham!

"SCREEE!"

Wham!

"URK!"

Wham!

"UGH!"

The beast finally decided to cut and run, it turned its back to Harry and flapped away.

"On no you don't!" Harry scowled, running after the chimera. Has soon as he drew close enough, he leaped onto the creatures back and threaded the chain through the creature's jaw like a horse's bit.

"Git along little chimera!" Harry cackled. The creature smashed through the door and into the hallway. It bucked wildly in mid air as it tried to throw its rider off.

Finally the two reached the point where Harry was dropped into the tunnel. The three eyed boy threw himself forward, making the chimera nose dive into the unforgiving concrete.

The two went head over heels until they came to a stop with Harry on the bottom.

Harry kicked upward and sent the amalgamation flying through the thinner section of the floor.

CRASH!

The monster struck the ceiling head first and hung there limply finally down for the count.

* * *

A few hours earlier…

Ed not so quietly seethed as he made his way up to the Tucker estate.

"I can't believe that idiot! I specifically told that dunderhead to be back before lockdown! And what does he do? He stays out all day! Now all of us are in hot water with the colonel because of him! He just couldn't leave well enough alone!"

"Um, Ed…" Al ventured.

"That nincompoop probably got himself some tail and will come strolling along later as happy as could be!"

"ED!"

"WHAT?" the blond barked.

"The doors open." The youngest said weakly.

"The Fullmetal alchemist growled and barged past Al and into the house.

"YO! Mr. Tucker! Nina! Anybody here?"

"Ed! You can't just barge into someone's house!" Al cackled, chasing after his brother.

"Like Hell I can't!" the blond scowled as he charged through the Living Room.

"Nina!"

"Ed, Stop!"

The kitchen.

"Munch! Munch! Mr. Tucker!"

"I'm warning you Ed!"

And finally, the basement lab.

"Ah! There you are!" the oldest brothers sighed, looking in on the sewing life alchemist feeding something in the shadows.

"Come in boys! Come in! You're just in time to meet my newest creation!" Nina's father grinned; "A chimera that can speak the language of man!"

The creature was about half Tucker's height, it seem to be a cross between some type of oversized cat and dog.

"Watch this…this is Edward. Can you say that?"

"Ed…ward?" the creature rumbled haltingly.

The two brothers stood there slack jawed, unable to comprehend a chimera that was capable of speaking.

'That's very good! You'll get a treat later!" Tucker praised.

"Vhe…re…go…od…get…tweat!" the creature mimicked.

"I can't believe it! The thing can really talk!" Ed gaped.

"And boy am I glad for that! I made it just in time for my assessment!" Alexander's master murmured.

Ed crouched in front of the creature and examined it more closely.

"Ed…ward...Ed…ward…big…bro…ther…" the chimera warbled.

The color drained from Ed face as he remembered something that Nina had said to him yesterday.

* * *

_"Will you please be my big brother? It gets lonely around here!" Nina whimpered._

_"Sure, I'd like that!" the fullmetal alchemist said kindly._

* * *

Ed had not seen either Nina or Alexander anywhere when he had explored the house only moments earlier.

"Mr. Tucker, when did your wife leave you?" Ed asked.

"About two years ago." Shou answered.

And when did you create the Chimera that earned you your license?"

"Also two years ago."

"One last question, where the hell are Alexander and Nina!" Ed snarled, rounding on the man, a wrathful expression adorning his face.

"I hate perceptive brats like you…" Tucker grunted, shooting the oldest brother a sour look.

Ed grabbed Tucker and tossed him across the room.

CRASH!

The bond was on him in an instant, wrapping his fingers around the man's throat.

"You utter bastard! How dare you! First you turn your own wife into a chimera, and now you only daughter! Your OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!" Ed roared

Al stood there gaping, looking from Tucker to hiss big brother as his mind tried to process Ed angry bellows.

"You can only do so much with animal transmutation, human test subjects are so much better!" Ed hissed venomously

"Why are you so upset? The backbones of many of our medical and commercial advancements are based on human experimentation. As a fellow scientist you should be praising me for my initiative, not…

"SHUT UP! How could you possibly justify playing with human lives?" Ed howled.

CRASH!

The three whirled as something crashed through the floor and got tuck in the ceiling head first.

"ALL RIGHT YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'M GONNA TEAR YOU A NEW BLOW HOLE FOR STICKING ME DOWN THERE!" Harry roared as he hauled himself out of the pit.

"Harry, are you ok? How did you end up down there?" Al gasped as he looked his big brother over.

"I'm fine that *&$# sucking &!%$* locked me down there with one of his pets. I barely made it out of there with my skin in tact!" the middle brother scowled.

"Human lives? Ha! Ha! Ha! That rich you hypocrite! I can see two examples of toying with human lives right in front of me!" Tucker twittered giddily.

Edward saw red.

WHAM!

A right cross to the jaw.

**"You're wrong!"**

"We're exactly the same! You saw something you wanted and you took it, damn the consequences!"

**_"You're wrong!"_**

"You toyed with human lives too!"

WHAM!

**_"You're wrong!"_**

"You did it, even though it was forbidden,, in fact you did it because it was banned. You longed for the thrill of doing the taboo! Just like all Alchemists do!"

WHAM!

"I'd never!"

WHAM!

"We'd never!"

"Stop!"

Al grabbed his older brother by the wrist, stopping him in mid punch.

"If you keep this up, you'll kill him. Then he'll never pay for what he's done." The youngest brother said softly.

Ed's shoulders shook as he looked at his middle brother pleadingly, "Please tell me you can undo this Harry?" Ed begged.

The evil eye alchemist looked the chimera girl over. "No…I can't do it." Harry grimaced.

"But, why?" Al pleaded.

Harry shot him a sharp look, "Al you know as well as I do that this eye isn't perfect. I can only do types of transmutation that I have experience in. I can barely do a tenth of the transmutations I've learned, and even them, that's only after I got that transmutation circle tattoo on the small of my back that allowed me to etch a makeshift circle into the plate on my hand. I can't even do it that often becuase it wears down my Automail much faster. That's why I go through twice as many arms as Ed! I hate to tell you this Al, but this is way out of my league. Whatever Tucker did, is permanent. Nothing can separate Nina and Alexander without killing them both and the alchemist that separates them."

Ed trembled as he ran out the door, followed by Harry, Al was last.

"Pretty words won't get things accomplished…" Tucker slurred.

"Say one more word, and I'll break you in half!" Alphonse hissed coldly.

* * *

Later that night…

"If there ever was 'truly the work of the devil' than this was it. Humph…the devil? To be blunt, all alchemists are nothing but human weapons controlled by the military. We do what they want, how they want, when they want it. And we lost all right to complain about getting our hands dirty when we accepted those nice shiny pocket watches as a badge of office. My point is that Tucker's actions aren't than uncommon in the grand scheme of things." Mustang explained.

"That's the logic of an adult sir. Even though Ed and Harry act like adults, it's difficult to remember that the two of them are still children." Hawkeye agreed as she and her superior officer walked slowly down the steps of the military administration building.

"Yes, but the path that Fullmetal and Jagan have chosen will no doubt lead to hardships even greater than those they faced today. The three of them have to move forward, even if it means forcing themselves to understand things beyond their age and comprehension. Isn't that right Fullmetal?" the flame alchemist drawled as he passed the three in question.

"How long do you plan on staying depressed?" Roy deadpanned.

Ed scowled and shot the man a withering look, "Shut. Up."

"You can't have it both ways. You chose to give up your innocence and your childhood when you became a dog of the military. You choose to continue studying Alchemy. You chose to join the military when you could have tried to take the easy rout and live the rest of your lives with the bodies you had. Can you really afford to be held back by something so small as the death of one girl?" the flame alchemist asked.

"Something so small? Your right, it was our decision to give up our innocence and join the militaries alchemy program. People may call us dogs of the military and devils, but we're not! We're humans! Humans who weren't even capable of saving a single little girl." Harry sobbed.

"Go home before you catch a cold." Mustang snorted

* * *

Back at the tucker estate…

Guard duty was one of the most boring details for the military police. Sadly, this would be the last night any of them would see.

The two guards were startled when they saw a rain soaked figure trudged out of the shadows and stalk towards them.

"I'm afraid that only authorized personnel are allowed beyond this point!" one of the guards said sharply.

"I don't care, I'm going though!" the man growled.

* * *

Inside the Tucker estate…

"Why Nina? Why doesn't anybody understand that I did this all for you?" Tucker whimpered mournfully to his chimera-ized daughter.

"Are you Shou Tucker?" A growling voiced asked.

Tucker whirled around and spied the mysterious stranger behind him. The man was tall, at about 6'6. His hair was bone-white, a stark contrast to his dark brown skin. His most distinguishing feature was the x-shaped scar that crisscrossed his face and ran over the eyes that were hidden under his sunglasses.

"Who are you? What do you want with me? You're not with the army? Where are the guards?" the former sewing- life alchemist asked, his panic rising by the second.

* * *

All the while the guards outside laid there, dead. Their bodies ripped apart from the inside-out, their insides scrambled into an unidentifiable paste.

* * *

"All those who have strayed from the path of the most holy of Gods shall have the lives they were given stripped away!" the scarred stranger sneered.

He grabbed Tucker by the face. The former state alchemist didn't even have time to struggle before…

CRACK!

Bolts of energy blasted into the man's body blowing him apart. Blood flowed from every orifice on his body, and quite a few new ones that had been blown open from Tucker's organs being blown apart like miniature bombs.

Chimera/ Nina whimpered pitifully as she nudged the prone corpse of her father.

"Daddy? Daddy! Daddy!" the creature whined.

For the first time in many years, the person only known as Scar felt a momentary pang of sympathy, petting her gently. "How awful, now that the man who you called father did this to you, there's no way to change you back. All I can do is send you on in peace.

CRACK!

* * *

"My Lord. Lord God, who created all things in this world. Two souls have returned to your embrace. Please grant them mercy, forgiveness, and peace when they arrive at your side." Scar prayed as he waked out of the estate, past the shredded bodies of the last two members of the Tucker family.

* * *

That night…

As Harry lay awake in bed, tossing and turning as he tried to will his mind allow him to drift off. But his mind was far too occupied to allow him such a luxury.

"Big brother, you asleep?" the middle child asked quietly.

"No." Ed answered tiredly.

"Um, could you...could...um...sing me that lullaby mom used to sing, when I was little?"

"I suppose…" Ed trailed off as he took a deep breath and began to croon the melody from their childhood.

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Binks no sake o todoke ni yuku yo

(Bink's sake is getting warm, going to deliver it)

Umi kaze ki makase nami makase

(Following the sea's light breeze, riding its very waves)

Shio no mukuo de yuhi mo sawagu

(Far across the salty depths, under the merry evening sun)

Sora ni ya wa o kaku tori no uta

(As bird's sing, they paint circles in the deep blue sky)

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Yohohoho Yo-ho-ho-ho

Soon, Harry was fast asleep with Ed not far behind.

Glossary for this Chapter

Chimera: An alchemic byproduct that is a combination of several dissimilar genetic structures. In other word, it is a mix and match of different organisms. This is considered to be the most unsettling and disturbing type of alchemy due to the pain and agony the creations are put through by just existing.

**Authors note: I did some editing when I realized that I had accidentally made one of Harry's arms as flesh and blood. So I edited that out and offered some more reasonable explanation.**

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	7. Chapter 6: Ashes to Ashes

Chapter 6: Ashes to Ashes

You know those two are our human sacrifices! As much as I'd like to see them dead, we need them alive- Envy

Ed was proud of himself. The transmutation was a success and they were a family again. Their bodies were whole and strong. Harry had and Lilly and Uncle James, and the young ten- year old had his mommy back.

The young boy charged mightily up the hill, his brothers by his side, their latest transmutation accomplishments in hand. Al had made a rough horse (although it looked more like an amoeba). Ed had made an Eagle, and Harry had made a lion.

"Mama! Aunt Lilly! Uncle James! Come see what we made." Ed cheered.

"What is it?" Lilly blinked as she paused in hanging up the wash.

"We made you some presents!" Al chirped as the three brothers handed their gifts to their respective parents.

"Where did you get this cub? This is some remarkable work!" James gaped as he looked the figurine over.

'We made them!" Al and Harry chorused.

""This is amazing work Ed! I promise to treasure it always! But…" Trisha Elric trailed off.

"But what?" The little boy blinked, his expression turning solemn.

**"It's too bad you couldn't put us back together too…" **Ed's mother hissed as blood dribbled down her rotting face.

* * *

Harry shrieked as he bolted awake, the dark haired boy chocked back a sob as memories of the nightmare came to him.

"I'm sorry…" He whimpered.

* * *

It was a much more subdued trio that stood in front of Colonel Mustang's office the next morning. Ed didn't want to be there, so he turned on his heel and prepared to make a run for it, leaving his brothers behind.

"Edward? What are you doing here?" First Lt. Hawkeye asked

"Erk! I mean…well…we wanted to know what was going to happen to Nina and Shou" Ed stammered, oblivious to the evil looks Al and Harry were shooting him.

The sharpshooter hesitated, "Tucker was scheduled to have his license revoked and be taken to Central City to be put on trial, but…"

Harry winced, "But?" he prompted.

The blond sniper sighed "They both died…or more accurately, they were both killed. We tried to spare you the details, but since you found out…"

"Wha…What? How the hell did that happen?" Harry sputtered.

"Who could have done this!" Al gaped.

"I'm coming too!" Ed growled.

"No!" Hawkeye said sharply.

"Why the fuck not!" Ed spat.

"Because it's better that you don't see what happened."

* * *

"Yo, Mustang! You know that we came to East City to bring Tucker in while he was still **alive**. Are you telling us to put this thing that looks like it went though a meat grinder on trial?" Lt. Colonel Hughes snorted sarcastically, jerking a thumb at the tarp covered body.

The Lt. Colonel was a deceptively plain looking man, barely reaching 5'6, with his black hair slicked back and a sporting a three day growth of stubble. His traveling companion was another matter all together. Major Armstrong topped off at an amazing seven foot even. He was a walking mountain of muscle. His face looked like it was carved out of a solid block of marble, his head totally bald except for a single thick curl of blond hair that grew from his forehead.

"Lt. Colonel, you don't need you remind me that mistakes were made! Just tell me what you can…" Mustang growled.

Hughes pulled the tarp up and peered underneath. Armstrong grimaced and made a face, "All things considered, this might be considered…divine justice." The muscular major grimaced

"EW! Just as I thought…the guards outside were the same way?" Hughes frowned.

"That's right, they were in pieces, or rather they were getting that way. It was as if they were blown apart from the inside out." Mustang replied clinically.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Major Armstrong?"

"Indeed. It **him…"**

* * *

Meanwhile back in the far off town of Liore…

Lust and Gluttony watched the masses from a high up balcony attached to the church of Lito. The town's people below were going about their daily lives as if nothing had happened only a matter of days before.

"Look at that Gluttony. Humans are such fools…" Lust drawled.

"Fools! Fools!" her overweight companion parroted.

"Quite right." agreed someone from the shadows. The mystery person stepped out, revealing himself to be the late father Cornello, alive and well.

"But when that foolishness plays right into your hands, that quality can be oh so useful." The deceased father smirked.

"Well, well, if it isn't 'your holiness!' Sorry we had to call you this backwater dust bowl. But we were in need of your talents." Lust grinned.

"Well, you know the drill, as soon as we're finished here; I'm heading back to our territory." The doppelganger shrugged.

"I was a tad worried when the Elrics stuck their noses into things, but as a result, thing couldn't have worked out better. Now we are years ahead of schedule because of those boys." The homunculus of desire purred.

Cornello wrapped his arms around Lust's waist and nuzzled her neck, "All it took were a few right words in the right places, and a little propaganda among 'my' followers to make things just as they were before." The false Cornello chuckled.

"In a few years this town will be bathed in blood as the erupting hatred stains this land red." Lust whispered throatily as she arched her neck back and nipped 'Cornello's' ear.

"You know how much I love it when you talk like that." He smirked. She grinned back as he leaned down. Their eyes locked, her heart sped up as Lust felt his breath brush across her face as their lips were just about to touch…

"Will a lot of people die?" Gluttony asked, interrupting the moment.

Lust sighed as she disengaged from the shape shifter. She had forgotten that Gluttony was there. "Yes, gluttony, lots and lots." she responded woodenly.

"Can I eat the ones that die?" the consumer begged.

"No, you can't eat them. By the way, Envy, How long are you planning on using that old man's voice and body. I wanna see the real you." The red head pouted.

"Anything for you, love. Besides why would I want to be this crusty old geezer…" Cornello grinned as he began to change.

His body slimmed as his body fat melted away. His wrinkled face smoothed as the decades dropped as he looked though a pair of dark hazel eyes. Short spiky black hair sprouted from his previously bald head. His priest's Hassock shimmered and became a skin tight halter top like garment. Below the waist he wore a pair of bicycle shorts under a loincloth. His Ouroboros tattoo was etched onto his right inner thigh.

"When I could be my young, handsome, and all around perfect self for you!" Envy preened.

Lust shook her head, "Your vanity is only matched by your ruthlessness!" she cooed.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" the homunculus of jealousy sniffed.

"Monster" a voice cried out.

Envy whirled around and spied the one who overheard them, it wan none other than the late Father Cornello's subordinate, Brother Cray.

"I must be slipping if a nobody stooge like that could sneak up on me!" the hazel eyed Homunculus grunted sourly.

"What's going on? His Holiness! What happened to the real Father Cornello? What in God's name are you?" the brother roared.

"What should we do?" Lust blinked.

"He called me a monster? I'm insulted!" Envy glowered.

"Can I eat him" Gluttony drooled, earning him a weird look from Envy, and a shrug of indifference from Lust.

"By the way…" Envy drawled.

RIP!

SMACK!

CRUNCH!

"I heard that someone killed Shou Tucker from East City." The short haired homunculus finished, yelling over the noise of his gluttonous brother's meal.

"Tucker? Oh yeah! The 'sewing life alchemist', right?" Lust blinked.

GULP!

CRACK!

SNAP!

She shrugged, "Who cares… he was a minor alchemist. The fool wasn't even on our radar!"

"I don't care about Tucker! What matters is the guy who killed him!" Envy explained.

MUNCH!

SLURP!

CHOMP!

"It's that guy from before again!" the shape shifter scowled.

"East city is where the flame colonel is right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Apparently the fullmetal pip-squeak, the three eyed freak, and their tin can of a brother are there too."

"Really? It's really pisses me off that we have to allow those idiots to go and do as they please! They get in the way of our plans and we can't do anything about it."

Envy rolled his eyes, "You know they're our human sacrifices! As much as I'd like to see them slaughtered like the human cattle they are, we need them alive! So shelve your bloodlust for later!"

"If I must…" Lust muttered sourly.

"Lust! That was tasty!" gluttony giggled.

The homunculus of desire rolled her eyes, "Gluttony, wipe your mouth after you eat!"

"About this mystery man, we have no idea who he is or where he's from. But the bottom line is that we cannot allow him to interfere anymore" Envy growled.

"All right, there's nothing more to accomplish in this town, so gluttony and I'll look into it." Lust nodded.

"Oh, what's this guy's name again?" Envy asked.

* * *

"Scar?" Mustang blinked.

"We have no idea what his name is, so that what we call him until we find out otherwise…" Hughes snorted.

"Not only is his background a mystery, we have no idea of what he looks like, what kind of weapon he uses, or his intentions. Add in the fact that he seems to be everywhere at once and we have a real problem on our hands. The only info we have on him is that he has an over sized x-shaped scar on his forehead." Armstrong scowled.

"This year alone he's killed five alchemists in central, and a total of ten in the surrounding areas. If you count the civilians and personnel that he's murdered in the process, the headcount is into the dozens." Hughes grimaced.

"So I've heard." Mustang sighed.

"Just between you and me, I heard that this guy even killed old man Grand." The Lt. colonel whispered conspiratorially.

SPURT!

"WHAT? Brigadier General Basque Grand? The 'Iron Blooded alchemist'! He was the military's greatest martial arts expert!" Mustang sputtered, spitting his coffee all over Armstrong.

"Say it, don't spray it!" the major huffed as he wiped off his face.

"While it seems unlikely, there is a man this strong roaming around the city at this very moment. So I'm going to give you a nickels worth of free advice. Double the security-staff, hire some body guards, and lay low until this blows over. After all, the only well known alchemist in this city is you, right?" The Lt. Colonel asked.

The color drained from the flame alchemists face, "Oh no!" he whispered.

He whirled on one of the MPs milling around, "You! I want to know if the Elric brothers are still in their lodgings. And I want to know five minutes ago, got that!" Mustang barked.

"Sir, yes sir!" Half a dozen people gulped.

"I spoke to them a few minutes earlier; they were walking down Main Street. Ed mentioned something about getting some fresh air." Hawkeye said grimly.

"Sir, there are reports of a firefight happening a few block east of Main Street." one of the soldiers interjected.

"Son of a bitch! Somehow, I knew this was going to happen! Someone bring the cars around! All hands report to the main street area! Move! Move! Move!" Mustang barked.

* * *

Several minutes earlier…

The Elric trio was sitting despondently in the shadow of the clock tower at the center of town under the pouring rain. Ed was moping, Al was despondent, and Harry was drunk off his ass after downing a whole bottle of Jim Bean that he had bought an hour earlier. If you were a state alchemist, you were considered an adult, simple as that.

"Ugh! My heads so full right now that I don't know what to think." The blonde grimaced.

"Life…is full of all shorts of triallsh…troolas…teshts that thest ones mettle!" Harry slurred.

"Since last night, I've been thinking about all the things that teacher drilled into us, all that we thought we knew."Ede continued, ignoring his brother's drunken ramblings.

"Hey Ed! You should have shome of thish! It makesh you feel…all loopy and cool!" the three eyed alchemist giggled

"Alchemy is the reconstruction of matter into a new form based on the natural laws." Al listed.

"The world flows by obeying these laws, death to is a part of that flow. Accept the flow of the world. Our teacher really beat that into us." Ed finished.

"I really love you guysh!" Harry drawled, throwing his arms around his brothers.

THWOCK!

The sound of flesh and metal meeting bone echoed throughout the street as Al and Ed's elbows slammed into Harry's face, sending him to dream land.

"Better turn Harry face down, so he doesn't choke on his own vomit if Jimmy decides to leaves the way he came in." Al muttered as he rolled his brother on his face.

"I thought I knew what she meant, but I didn't. And that's why mom…" Ed groaned.

The oldest brother leaned back and looked at the sky, "I'm a fool. I haven't grown up at all since that night. I had hoped that this rain might wash away these doubts. But all I know is that I'm cold and wet."

Al shook his head, "But it's lonely inside here this shell can't feel the rain or anything at all. I want to get my body back. I want to be human again. Even if that means going against the flow of the world."

* * *

It was a short while later that Harry came too, and had a monstrous hangover induced headache that cleared the alcohol out of his system faster than any home remedy ever could.

"Did you have to hit me so hard?" Harry whined as he massaged his abused skull.

"Maybe if you hadn't been so annoying, we wouldn't have had to hit you!" Ed sneered.

"EDWARD AND HARRY ELRIC! I have an important message for you!" and MP bellowed as he ran toward the trio. The poor soul didn't notice that his yelling attracted the attention of a dark skinned man with a scar across his face.

"The Fullmetal and Jagan alchemist?" Scar whispered reverently.

"I have an important message for you. The three of you are required back at headquarters immediately. There's a killer on the loose who's targeting… state…"

The military police officer trailed off when he noticed Harry's pale face and Ed's frightened gaze looking behind him.

The unlucky man whirled around and saw the very man he was about to warn the brothers about.

"The Elrics at last!" the killer hissed.

"That scar! It's…"

CRACK!

The officer didn't even have time to finish his sentence. Scar grabbed the man sent a torrent of killing energy into his body, blowing the MP apart from the inside.

The street was swamped with a killing intent so strong that it made Ed's earlier attempts on the train look like a child's temper tantrum.

"Oh shit!" Harry gulped, summing up the situation perfectly.

Glossary for this chapter

Envy: A homunculus shape-shifter, he is able to alter his body in any way shape or form to assume the appearance of any living thing around him, or turn his body into a living weapon.

Scar: A mysterious serial killer who hates all state alchemists. He has made it his goal in life to utterly decimate and kill anyone who calls them self a State alchemist or support someone with that title.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	8. Chapter 7: Dust to Dust

**I don't own Harry Potter or FMA, I'm just borrowing them. And the Rokushiki ryu belongs to Eiichiro Oda.**

**Authors note: 6/10/09: had to make a minor alteration to this chapter. nothing major. I just needed Harry's third eye open during the fight with Scar. **

Chapter 7: Dust to Dust

"I'll give you a moment to pray before I end your miserable life." - Scar

All three Elrics were frozen. The killing intent that Scar was putting out left the three of them breathless. But their thoughts were remarkably similar.

_"This is beyond bad!"_ Al thought.

_"Who is this nut job?"_ Harry mentally whimpered.

_"Everything from my soul outward is telling me to run for my life, but my legs won't move!" _Ed realized.

All three had the same follow up thought at the same time.

"Unless I move, I'm gonna die!" all three thought.

GONG!

The clock let out a deep tone as it struck the twilight hour.

The Elrics hoped that it wasn't an omen.

"Al, Harry, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Harry screamed as He grabbed his brothers and hauled ass out of there.

"What is this guy's problem? I've never done anything to make someone hate me this bad!" Ed babbled.

"Says you!" AL and Harry chorused.

"Well nothing I deserved to die for anyway!" the blond amended.

Al perked up and put on a burst of speed, turning down a nearby alley, "Hey guys! Down here!"

The two brothers made a sharp turn and ducked into what they realized was a dead end.

"AL! There's no way out of here! We're boxed in!" Ed cackled.

"Just watch and learn!" Al said smugly as he whipped out a piece of chalk and began tracing a pattern on the ground.

ZAK!

As bolts of energy ran along the ground, the concrete and brickwork melted away until the alley was sealed tight all the way to the top of the building on either side, the perfect camouflage.

"Nice work Al!" Harry praised, a sentiment that his brother agreed with.

Suddenly, rapid footsteps came into hearing range.

"SSSHHH!" Ed hissed.

The steps paused outside the brother's makeshift bunker.

CRRRRR….

Before their very eyes, the transmuted wall began to bulge and crack as stress fractures spider webbed along it.

"SWEET MOTHER OF ALCHEMY!" Ed squawked.

CRACK!

BANG!

The violent explosion sent the brothers flying, shrapnel whizzing around them like angry bees.

"_Ooooo-oh, _anyag! Abso-bloody-lutely perfect! Please, tell me - ow... that pounding in my skull, is because of a hangover, and that the insane killer was just a nightmare…" Harry coughed miserably. His head swam as the mother of all headaches jack hammered away at his sanity, again. And on top of that he could feel something slick, syrupy, and wet sliding slowly down the side of his face. This probably was not a good sign as he was feeling a bit to light-headed to be healthy. Slowly, he reached up with a free hand, dabbed on the stuff, and took a lick right off the tip of his finger.

As his vision cleared, he saw that it was red and tasted like copper. "Yup, that's blood all right. Water, plasma, red blood cells: blood. No mistaking it. Must've gotten cut open when I got flattened…again."

"Nice to see your observational skills are still up to par." Al grunted as he hauled his brother up and threw him over his metallic shoulders.

"OOUG! I'd yell at you right now for throwing me around like this Al, but I'm too nauseous at the moment…" Harry whimpered.

"Come on! We gotta run for it!" Ed barked as he led his siblings away.

The killer calmly placed his hand one of the walls beside him and…

CRACK!

CR-CRACK

WHA-BOOM

Brought the walls down around them as he sent a bolt of annihilation energy down the alley, collapsing the buildings and blocking their way.

"ALPHONSE ELRIC! Put me down this instant you ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng!" Harry barked angrily as his head cleared and the queasy feeling in his stomach passed.

WHUMP!

Al put him down, or more accurately, dropped him on his butt.

"You pay for that later little bro…" Harry vowed.

"Why are you after us? What did we do to deserve this?" Ed snarled.

"You exist. You shatter the laws of the cosmos by practicing your heresy called alchemy. So it has been ordained by my most high of gods, that all who trespass on his holy ground will be executed." The stranger said woodenly.

"Great, we're dealing with another zealot fanatic! Do any of us have a sign on our backs that say HEY ALL YOU CRAZY PEOPLE, COME OVER HERE?" Harry grumbled as he got to his feet and opened his third eye.

"Guess we don't have any choice. Looks like we have to crack some skulls." Ed growled as he transmuted a pair of trench knives from the exposed pipe beside him. Harry took a different root and created a set of wicked looking brass knuckles. Al slipped into a loose ready stance.

The three rushed forward, Al and Harry hitting high, Ed hitting low. The serial killer almost casually side stepped Al's initial open palm thrust, grabbing the limb and swinging its owner into Ed, sending the two tumbling in a heap. Harry's fist would have cracked the man's skull open if Scar hadn't sidestepped the blow, slamming his fist into Harry's stomach and driving him into a wall.

"HARRY!" Ed squawked as he and Al scrambled to their feet. Al quickly slipped into a complex kata, streaking through a series of lightening fast kicks before transitioning into a series of aerial blows, cutting the air with a series of impossibly quick strikes before returning the ground. Aikido. Judo. Jujitsu. Karate. Kung Fu. And more. But the blows were once again reflected easily, as if Alphonse was nothing more than an infant trying to tug on the killer's hair.

WHAM!

The alchemist killer lashed out with a frighteningly strong right that flew past Al's guard and left a fist shaped dent in Al's body, sending him flying.

A haze of Red clouded the eldest's vision as he watched his youngest brother get knocked away.

His feet flew as he flipped at Scar, but Ed inverted himself at the lat second, doing a handstand facing backwards and lashing out with his feet.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Only for Scar to block the blows with his forearms and latch onto Ed by his outstretched legs, swinging their owner like a pendulum and throwing the short blonde once more into Harry, who had recovered from his earlier impact.

"DAH!" Harry yelped.

"ACK!" Ed squawked.

"You're not even at the level of my feet. All three of you are nothing but amateurs!" The stranger sniffed.

"We're accomplished amateurs! There's a difference!" Al piped up as he got unsteadily to his feet.

"An amateur is an amateur, and a dead man is a dead man! As you'll soon see!" Scar snarled as he bolted at Al with frightening speed.

SHRACK!

The scared murderer slipped under Al's guard and palmed his metallic side. His brothers could only watch in horror as almost all the steel plating along his left side disintegrated, shattered like glass.

"AL!" Harry and Ed screamed.

"Damn you, you son of a BITCH!" Ed shouted at the top of his lunged for Scar, disregarding any semblance of tactics or form, his only goal was to wrap his fingers, both flesh and metallic, around the man's throat until the life was choked out of him.

Sadly it was not to be.

The killer grabbed Ed's arm in an iron grip.

"As I said before, amateurish!" Scar sneered

CRACK!

The killer jack hammered a series of punishing blows into Ed ribs, knocking the boy off his feet. Then he sidestepped a flying kick from Harry. The black haired youth rebounded off the wall and tried to slam his elbow into his opponent's skull. But Scar snatched the three eyed boy out of mid-air and contemptuously tossed Harry into his big brother, sending the two tumbling to the pavement for the umpteenth time.

Still dazed from the sudden beating and subsequent fall Ed didn't notice being pulled to his feet by his arm.

"Good bye." Scar leered.

And sent bolt of killing energy along the eldest brother's metallic limb.

"AUGH!" Ed yelped as his vision went haywire. Colored spots danced before his eyes as his entire being went numb as he was thrown to the ground.

Harry scrambled to his big brother's side, "Ed, Ed are you Ok? Say something!" Harry asked desperately, waiting for any sign of life.

"Something…" The eldest sibling hissed.

Harry let out a sigh of relief as he pulled his big brother to his feet.

Ed looked blearily at the shredded remains of his coat and left glove.

The fullmetal alchemist stripped the tattered remains of his upper clothing, revealing the metallic limb underneath attached to a muscular torso only clad in a simple black tank top.

"Humph, automail! No wonder my biological disruption attacks didn't affect you. And as for him, I was planning to strip this one of his outer shell and then dispose of him. But there's nothing inside to get rid of. What a strange trio you make." The dark skinned man commented dryly.

He cracked his neck with a loud snap.

"This has taken far too long. I'd best finish this quickly." The scared killer scowled.

"I've never been one to follow anyone's schedule, especially one belonging to a psychopath like you." The oldest brother sneered.

Without warning, Scar suddenly blurred and disappeared before their very eyes.

"You act like you have a choice…" Scar hissed as he reappeared behind, with the middle brothers mechanical arm eldest's automail shoulder in his iron grip.

CRACK!

Harry's arm shattered.

So did Ed's.

No.

Ed's exploded.

The metallic limb blew apart with a thunderous roar, flinging the young alchemist to the ground.

"ED! NO!" Al screamed as he watched his brothers battered and bleeding body slump to the ground.

As Harry laid there, stunned beyond recognition he realized that this man had not only read them like a book from the very beginning, but had predicting their moves and stopping them cold at every instance.

He was faster than them.

He was stronger than them.

He was just better than them.

"I'll give you a moment to pray before I end your miserable life." The serial killer drawled.

"I don't feel like praying to anyone in particular at the moment." The blonde grimaced, clutching his wounded shoulder.

"…" Scar was silent, just staring impassively.

"I-I just want to know, am I the only one you after?" The oldest brother asked.

"No, your middle sibling is on my list as well."

"I'll give myself up, kill me how ever you want slow or fast or even out right torture…just don't hurt my little brothers…"Ed whimpered weakly.

"It would be quite the feather in my cap to do away with you. So we have an accord. Both your brothers' lives in exchange for yours, that's an equivalent exchange correct?

"NO! EDWARD! DON'T DO IT! PLEASE RUN! YOU AND HARRY ARE THE ONLY ONES I HAVE! DON'T KILL HIM, SCAR, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM!" Alphonse screamed at the top of his lungs.

The hand descended closer…closer…closer.

Ed resigned himself to death.

BANG!

"That's enough. Step away from the boys and put your hands above your head!" Mustang barked as he trained his recently discharged pistol on the disfigured serial killer. Behind the Flame Alchemist was his right hand woman, Riza Hawkeye, and thirty MPs with assault rifles trained on the murderer.

He shot the brothers an arrogant grin, "That was a pretty close call, Fullmetal."

Ed bit back his usual caustic comeback, "Colonel, this guy is…"

"The one responsible for the alchemist killings, I know. And judging from the events that transpired here I'd say we just found our man. Let me guess, the murders at the Tucker estate were your doing as well?" The flame alchemist drawled.

Ed shot the scared killer and incredulous look, which turned to a venomous glare when Scar didn't bother denying it.

"You have no right to dictate terms to me heretic. The world was made perfect by God's divine will. Alchemists like you pervert that perfection and twist creation out of its natural order. You sin by defacing God's work! So he has ordained me as his instrument of divine judgment to rain hellfire on those who oppose him" Scar growled.

"That little speech and your song and dance with the Elrics clarify the why and the how. Now why do you only target state alchemists? When there are so many others who practice the science?"

"I don't have to explain myself to the likes of you. Now get out of my way or I'll eliminate you just as easily as I put down those boys." The serial killer spat.

"Really?" Mustang smirked as he handed his pistol to Lt. Hawkeye and put on one of his ignition cloth gloves.

"Colonel Mustang!" Hawkeye said uneasily.

"Stay out of this. I can handle this nutcase on my own." Mustang said flatly.

"But Colonel!"

"I said butt out!"

"Heh…Heh… HA-HA-HA! I never thought that so many heretic sinners would throw themselves upon my judgment of their own free will!" Scar laughed madly.

"You're a fool if you think that the flame alchemist will roll over and…WAAAUGH!" Mustang yelped as he was cut off in mid speech by Hawkeye slamming her boot into her commanding officer's backside, dropping him to the ground like a lead weight. Scar's attempted grab for Mustang's face was thwarted, and the killer found himself staring down the barrels of the sharpshooter's twin Walther P-5.9MM Pistols.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The firearms barked as the killer desperately dodged the projectiles.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALCHEMY WAS THAT FOR?" Mustang cackled as he shot his subordinate an incredulous glare.

"You forgot that you're useless on rainy days, colonel." Riza Hawkeye said coolly.

"Oh yeah! I forgot that the colonel can't make sparks when it's damp like this!" Second Lt. Havoc chimed in.

The colonel quickly fell into a deep depression at being called…useless…by a subordinate.

Meanwhile, while the flame alchemist was pondering the meaning of his own existence (and frankly not coming up with much), Scar clambered up a drainpipe and found a perch on a nearby rooftop, out of firing range.

"Lady Luck once again smiles upon me. You try to make flames, but you can only blow smoke!" the serial killer grinned from his perch.

That was when he noticed something was off…very off.

The crowd below wasn't angry, or even upset (well, except for mustang, but we're not counting him). In fact, Lt. Colonel Hughes had a Cheshire grin that almost split his face in two.

It was at that moment that Scar's danger sense went off like a warning klaxon.

The disfigured warrior ducked just in time to avoid a blow from a heavy duty, spiked, metal gauntlet that drove a watermelon sized hole in the wall where his head had been only seconds before.

Scar looked up and gaped at the largest man he had ever seen in his entire life.

Major Armstrong.

For the first time since he had last looked upon his big brother, Scar felt intimidated. This man towered over the killer like a colossus.

"HUMPH! So you were quick enough to dodge my strike. I impressed, not enough to let you walk away though." The giant commented dryly.

"You brazen insurrectionists make my blood boil! You think that you can just kill everybody here? Don't make me laugh! If you want to get to them, you have to get through me first! I'm Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist." The bald man roared as he yanked his fist out of the wall, collapsing it.

"So, a new target shows himself, should I execute you first?" Scar leered.

"I can tell by that look in your eyes, boy, that you won't surrender yourself. So I guess that I'll have to get my hands dirty and put you down myself!" Armstrong roared as he scooped up a handful of debris and lobbed them into the air.

As the stones and masonry descended, the muscle bound alchemist reared his iron clad fists back and…

WHAM!

THWACK!

CRACK!

BOOM!

BANG!

His fists lashed out and the circle on the back of his gloved pulsed, transmuting the stonework into massive arrowheads, each as thick and as long as his forearm.

The projectiles flew at scar like a deadly hailstorm, all ready to impale him from every angle.

Only for him to dodge them all…

BLUR!

BLUR!

BLUR!

BLUR!

BLUR!

Everyone below could only gape as he seemed to move so fast that he was teleporting from place to place, dodging the attack.

"Soru!" Scar smirked as he came to a stop.

"How…what did you…no matter! If that technique didn't stop you, then I'll have to use another passed down through the Armstrong line! Take this!" the giant bellowed, slamming his iron shod fists through the roof.

C-CRACK

A line of spike rippled upward shooting at Scar with enough speed to almost match the killer's only moments before.

Scar blurred and dodged to the side as the row of spike flew past him. He almost contemptuously slammed a handful of destruction energy into one of the spikes, turning it to dust.

"HM! It seems that my alchemy won't work, so I guess I'll have to get UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!" Armstrong roared as he charged Scar, fist flying.

Scar didn't move a muscle.

CLANG!

The crowd blow gaped, they were expecting the sound of the killer's head being bashed open, not what sounded like someone ringing a gong.

CRACK!

Armstrong's jaw dropped as one of the gauntlet he crafted with his own two hands shattered like glass.

"Tekkai!" Scar whispered.

It was at that moment that the Strong Arm Alchemist realized a very important fact, that he was as badly outclassed as badly as the boys had been.

"Rankyaku…" Scar hissed.

The killer lashed out with his leg and shot a crescent shaped air blade at the shocked major.

Armstrong didn't even have time to cry out as the projectile slammed into him and sent the man flying off the roof and to the unforgiving ground below.

The soldiers scattered as the man flew at them.

BANG!

And landed hard enough to crack the pavement upon impact.

Scar blurred and crouched on Armstrong's chest with his hands around the larger man's throat.

"Those were some interesting techniques, I wouldn't expect any less from a fellow alchemist!" Armstrong gurgled.

"He's an alchemist too?" Mustang (who had recovered at this point) gaped.

"I knew it!" Ed spat

"Yeah, there are three basic stages of an alchemic transmutation, analysis, deconstruction, and reconstruction. And from the look of it, his death touch is nothing more than a basic transmutation stopped at the second stage, destruction." Harry explained.

"But if he's an alchemist, than this nut job is going against his own preaching!" Havoc sputtered.

"There's no rhyme or reason to this. But then again, has there ever been a logical reason for a killer's actions?" Mustang scowled.

It was at that moment that Scar's danger sense blared.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The killer blurred three times in rapid succession, dodging the trio of bullets from Hawkeye's sniper rifle that she fired from the several meters away. One shot grazed his temple and sent his sunglasses flying off his face.

"Did you get him?" Mustang barked.

"No. he moved too fast. Only one of my shots even came close. One bullet clipped his temple." The sharpshooter said coolly.

As blood dripped down the killer's face, he glared daggers at the sharpshooter with burning red eyes.

Armstrong bit back a gasp of alarm, "I don't believe it! I'd know those dark skin and red eyes anywhere! The man's an Ishvalran!"

Everyone tensed. The reputation of the Ishvalaran people was infamous since the war fought years ago. They fought like demons and mowed down ten opponents for every one of them that was killed.

Scar relaxed, the tension seemed to ooze out of his body, "I've lingered too long here. I have other targets to pursue."

"Just try it! You're surrounded by dozens of soldiers who would love to blow you to pieces." Mustang sneered.

Wordlessly, Scar raised his hand and slammed a palm full of destruction energy into the street.

CRAAAAAAACCCCCKKKKKK!

RUUUUUUMMMMBBBBBLLLLLEEEE!

The pavement buckled and rolled wildly as bolts of energy sank into the concrete, sending shards of pavement flying like stone darts. The MPs dashed and scrambled in all directions as they desperately tried to escape the chaos. Finally, the cacophony stopped. Silence was the only thing to be heard.

Mustang peered out from his hiding place in a nearby restaurant gaped at the fifty foot wide hole in the street that the disfigured killer had vanished into.

"I don't believe it, that nutcase disappeared into the sewers!" Havoc squawked as he peered into the hole.

The colonel let out a tired sigh and turned to Armstrong, who had been bodily dragged from ground zero and propped against a wall "I sorry we didn't capture him. You gave us the time to surround him, and…"

"No. Don't apologize. I knew the risks when I challenged that man. He completely outclassed me. All I could do was try to stay alive, much less buy you any time." The strong arm alchemist grunted as he gingerly got to his feet, clutching his abused ribs.

"Are the fireworks over?" Hughes asked as he poked his head out from behind a corner.

"And where have you been this whole time?" Mustang glowered.

"Hiding! Someone had you live to tell the tale if Scar slaughtered all of you!" the Lt. Colonel said matter of factly.

"Alphonse!"

"Al, Speak to me!"

Mustang winced when he turned around and saw the youngest brother's decimated metallic body. Al's right leg was simply gone, shattered like glass into hundreds of tiny fragments. The damage went all the way up his right side into the lower junction of Al's right arm and his body. His right arm had a series of spider-web like cracks running to the shoulder that made the limb look like it could give out at any moment.

"Ed…ward? Harry? Is…that you?" Al wheezed.

"Yeah it's us! Don't talk, Al, try to save your strength." Harry pleaded.

"Come closer…" Al whispered softly.

The older brothers edged nearer.

KLONK!

"OW!" Ed yelped

"SON OF A B****" Harry cursed

The youngest brother had grabbed his older siblings by the hair and cracked their heads together.

"Why the f*** did you do that?" the middle brother bellowed.

"I needed a blunt object to hit Ed with, and your head was the first thing that came to mind." Al snarled.

He shoved harry out of the way and grabbed his oldest brother by the collar, pulling Ed close so that they were eye to eye.

"Why in the nine levels of Hell didn't you run when I told you to!" the youngest brother barked

"Because I didn't want to leave you behind?" Ed replied lamely.

POW!

A steel helmet head butt to the skull knocked Ed ass over teakettle.

"THAT"S WHAT I MEANT BY STUPID, YOU DUMB A**!"the armored brother roared.

"But if I ran, you might have been killed?" Ed whined as he clutched his broken head.

"I might not have been killed too! You should have taken Harry and ran at the first opportunity! Why choose death when there's a way out? That's what idiots do!" Al snarled as he grabbed his grabbed his oldest brother and shook him until his head rattled like a bobble head doll

"D-d-don't talk that w-w-way to your b-b-b-big brother!" Ed stuttered.

"I'll talk to you however I want! You're the one that told me that we have to keep living so that we can do more research and find a way to make ourselves whole again! And if you took that chance away from yourself, I'd never forgive you!" Alphonse shot back.

SNAP!

The Arm that Al was using to hold Ed up broke off at the shoulder, dropping the limb uselessly to the ground.

"Now look what you've done, my whole arm fell off! This is entirely your fault Edward Elric!" Al screamed as he thrashed his remaining limbs futilely

"What a trio we make, huh guys?" Harry chuckled weakly.

"But we're alive, so that has to count for something? Right?" Al shrugged.

"That it does Al, that it does." Ed nodded as Lt. Hawkeye wrapped a blanket around him.

* * *

"Those brothers continue to surprise me. I had no idea that that suit of armor was his younger brother! I don't know it was possible to transmute a human soul. Ed must have been willing to put his life on the line, to try a foolish stunt like that" Armstrong said quietly.

"That's why the bond between them is so strong. I'm just glad we're getting a chance to rest after this fiasco." The flame alchemist groaned.

"I don't think you can rest on your laurels just yet sir, unless you've forgotten, you have a very dangerous killer with a vendetta after you. And from the looks of things, it'll get worse from here on out!" Hughes said grimly.

* * *

_Excerpt from "The Guide to the National History of Armestris": This nation is known for its rich history and culture, and most of all for pioneering the science of Alchemy. But in recent years, it has become known far and wide for a singular event: the Ishvalran war and massacre. The tiny nation to the East was known for worshiping nature and their god, Ishvalara. They held the belief that the world was perfect in its design. They followed that belief by building their cities and towns around the natural landmarks, not disturbing the flow of nature. _

_Sadly, this did not last._

_When the diplomats of Armestris first made contact, the two countries seemed to be willing to co-exist. Then a series of events happened that would shake both nations to their very core. When an alchemist demonstrated his craft before a curious group of Ishvalran natives, he hoped that they would take an interest in his work. Instead, the crowd reacted badly and branded alchemy as a heresy. The alchemist would have been beaten to death, if not for the timely intervention a nearby squad of soldiers. This singular event sparked a series of riots that forced the Armestris government to bring in the military to keep the peace. Once again, this tentative calm was not to last. A soldier accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalran child, igniting a war that would last seven long years. Many people died on both sides of the conflict. For a time, neither faction seemed capable of winning._

_Enter the head of the nation of Armestris and its military, Fuhrer King Bradley._

_He instituted a daring and controversial program that converted the nation's alchemy program into a tool for war. The state alchemists were turned from scientists into living weapons that were to be used in an all out campaign to either quell the insurgents, or exterminate them. _

_The war ended six months later with the eradication of 90% of the Ishvalran population._

* * *

"And I was one of those soldiers." Mustang said grimly.

"I suppose that there's a certain amount of irony that one of the last Ishvalran people would surface to seek revenge." Hawkeye said dryly.

"He calls that justice? What a joke! The man's killing innocent people who had no part in any of this, just for the sake of his revenge. He's sugarcoating his murderous killing spree by acting self righteous and calling himself 'an instrument of the lord'. What a crock!" Ed snorted, shaking his head. The oldest brother's eyes watered at the scorched flesh from his shoulder to his jaw-line, which was charred from his automail exploding, began to burn under the hastily applied bandages.

"While it may be a crock, we're still talking about someone who hates alchemy with a passion, but still sees no problem in using the same thing he hated to get revenge. Someone like that is either out of their mind, or doesn't care what others think about his actions. Both are the most dangerous type of people. I'm not sure what scares me more." The Lt Colonel shuddered.

A beat.

"Ok, enough of that depressing talk! We have more pressing business to attend to; like what we're going to do about you three." The bearded Lt Colonel commented as he turned to the Elric trio.

"Well none of us are really capable of defending ourselves at the moment. Al's in pieces, and both Ed and I lost a limb a piece." Harry shrugged.

"Yeah, I would fix Al's body in a second, but I can't perform alchemy with one arm." Ed sighed.

"I'll fix him for you!" Armstrong offered, flexing his muscles and posing dramatically as he ripped his shirt off.

"No thank you!" Al said flatly.

"I'm tempted to take you up on that offer major, but I'm the only one who knows how to repair Al while maintaining the integrity of the blood seal that's holding his soul in place." The short blond explained.

"So, to summarize the situation, if Ed can't use alchemy, then he's just…" Lt. Hawkeye began.

"A little brat who swears a lot." Havoc piped up.

"An arrogant pipsqueak." Hughes opined.

"Useless, just useless!" Mustang chimed in.

"A temperamental little person!" Harry nodded.

"Sorry big brother, I don't have anything to dispute that…" Al said weakly.

"WHY ARE YOU ALL PICKING ON ME?" Ed wailed as he sulked in a corner…

"Anyway, what this boils down to is that we have to visit our mechanics." Harry groaned resignedly.

* * *

Later…

_"Why oh why, in the name of Alchemy, did those backstabbers have to send him of all people to guard the three of us!"_ Harry mentally snarled as the train pulled out of the station, their guard sitting there, cool as ice, taking in everyone around him.

* * *

Several hours earlier…

"OH! I've heard so much about you Edward Elric! To think that you hold so much love in your heart as to resurrect your dead mother. Not to mention the brotherly love that made you brave the impossible, and bring your brother's soul back from the hereafter!" Armstrong wailed as he threw his arms around the short blond in a (literally) bone breaking hug.

"Colonel, who's bright idea was it to tell that muscle-head about Ed?" Harry growled at his superior officer as they watched the major chase Ed around the room.

"Well, the major is kind of hard to say no to! If he leans on you, it's a good idea to tell him what he wants to know!" Mustang hissed.

"Knowing the details of your tragic past, I've decided to take upon myself to guard you on the trip to your engineer!" the major blubbered as he dabbed his eyes with a lace handkerchief.

"Um...major..." Mustang tried to interject

"WHAT! Are you people crazy, we don't need any guards?" Ed sputtered.

"I kind of have to agree with the peanut gallery. None of us are in top shape at the moment. I doubt we could defend ourselves from a half cooked pot roast, let alone a deranged serial killer who can murder a person with one touch." The black haired boy said weakly.

"If I could get a word in edge wise please?" the flame alchemist tried again.

"Not to mention that neither of you are capable of transporting your brother with one arm a piece." Havoc chimed in.

"That goes without saying." Harry agreed.

"But does it have to be the major." Ed whined.

"I have a ton of work waiting for me back in central!" Hughes sighed.

"I don't think that I could protect you from someone that dangerous!" Havoc said weakly.

"Our thoughts exactly!" the rest of the soldiers in the room (all twenty of them) said in eerie unison.

"So it's decided!" the muscular major smiled as he patted the shorter blond on the head.

"Nothing's been decided! And don't treat me like a little kid you over grown shaved gorilla!" Ed screamed.

"Hey Al, what's your opinion?" the three eyed boy asked.

"Oh my goodness! This is the first time anyone had treated me like a kid since my soul got sealed in this armor!" Al swooned.

**BANG!**

A small explosion went off in the center of the room, finally allowing the Colonel to gain everyone's attention.

"As I was saying, Major Armstrong, I can't allow you to accompany the Elrics to Resembool." Mustang uttered.

"B-b-but why?" the muscular man sputtered indignantly.

"How about because of the multiple lacerations and broken bones from the brawl with Scar. For goodness sakes, you were thrown off the top of a building." Mustang said as he made his way around the room and came to a stop behind Armstrong.

FWAP!

Mustang slapped the major on the back, making sure to prod one of his sore spots. Armstrong jumped and fought the urge to let out a pained yelp.

"You shouldn't even be out of bed, let alone on active duty." the flame alchemist snorted.

"Understood..." Armstrong said meekly

"But if the major isn't going, and none of us are, than who?" Hawkeye blinked.

"I sent a request to the Fuhrer, and he sent someone to babysit our resident celebrities. Come in Toshiro."

Harry stiffened and shot the colonel a frightened look. "Please oh please tell me that it's some other Toshiro and not..."

"Hello Evil Eye. I'd say that it's a pleasure to see you again, but that would be a lie now, wouldn't it." the newcomer said coldly.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya." Harry finished lamely. Ed and Al shot him a pair of sympathetic yet resigned looks.

The newcomer was somewhere between Ed and Mustang in height, he has long spiky silver hair that grew past his collar, and his clothes were a long white coat, a black sweater and dark slacks.

Harry got to his feet and gave the newcomer a crisp salute.

"SIR! It's good to see you, Frozen Heavens Alchemist, SIR!" Harry barked.

"It's good to see you finally learned some respect, especially with how you stole some of my techniques with that blasted third eye of yours." The newly identified Frozen heavens Alchemist nodded crisply.

"I hope that your history with young Harry won't affect your ability to accomplish this assignment." Mustang drawled.

"Of course not. I never let past history get in the way of a job."

"Of course." Mustang nodded.

_"This is gonna be a loooong trip" _Ed thought, as he looked at his brothers resigned grimace.

"Now lets get you three packed up." the silver haired man said as he led the brothers out of the room.

* * *

And that was how Al found himself sealed up in a crate like a box of furniture.

"This is the first time someone has treated me like luggage since my soul was sealed in this armor." Al thought miserably.

"Hopefully this will keep people from asking to many questions." Toshiro nodded

_"My poor brother!"_ Ed and Harry thought in unison.

* * *

TAP! TAP!

Ed was brought out of his reverie by a sharp rap at the window. He looked out and spied none other than Lt. Colonel Hughes.

"I came to see you off, and deliver a message from Roy."

"From the colonel?" Ed blinked.

"It's as follows: You'd better get out of here soon, because I won't allow you to die in my jurisdiction. It'd be a pain to clean up, and there would be too much paper work!" Hughes deadpanned.

"Well you can tell him; 'Understood! I'd never die before you colonel butthole!' " Ed sneered.

"HA! That's a good one! If the Old saying's true, 'the ruder you are, the luckier you are', than you and Mustang are going to live forever!" Hughes snickered.

His expression turned serious as he threw the three soldiers a salute. Moments later, the steam whistle blew and the train sped off.

"WAIT! FER THAT LOVE OF ALL THA'S GOOD WAAAAIT!" someone wailed.

Hughes was startled when a giant of a man why was possibly equal in size to Armstrong bolted onto the platform just as the train pulled out of the station.

"Oh Bugger it! I missed that boy again! The school term sta'ts in two months. If I don' meet Harry and give that lad his let'er, Dumbledore will 'ave moi hide!" the stranger moaned.

Hughes blinked as the man stalked off, cursing under his breath.

"Why do I get the distinct feeling that I'm missing something important?" the Lt. Colonel muttered.

* * *

"So this person you know is and automail mechanic? I've never met anyone in that line of work before." the blue eyed alchemist asked later.

"Yeah, although to be more specific, they're a combination surgeon and weaponsmith specializing in prosthetic limb construction, attachment, maintenance, and modification." Ed answered.

"They give us a good deal on our repairs because we've known them for so long. The Rockbells are old family friends of ours from back when we lived in our hometown of Resembool." The black haired brother chimed in.

"What's it like there, Ed?" the silver haired man asked, ignoring Harry.

"Very quiet mostly. It's almost completely pasture and farmland as far as the eye can see. Most 'neighbors' are miles apart." the blond answered answered.

"Although, most of it was leveled in the eastern rebellion because the army was so slow to respond. It might have developed into a bustling city by now if the army hadn't dropped the ball." Harry said innocently,

"My ears are burning…" Toshiro glowered.

"Good for you!" the small blond snorted.

"By the way, what did you do with Al? I went to the baggage car to check on him and couldn't find him. You did put him on this train…right?" Harry scowled.

* * *

Meanwhile in the livestock car, Al was on his fourth staring contest in a row with one of the many sheep milling around him.

* * *

"I thought he might get lonely by himself!" Hitsugaya sniffed.

"YOU JERK! THAT'S WORSE THAN THE LUGGAGE CAR!" Ed bellowed as he leaped at their escort.

As the two of them tussled, neither noticed Harry slip away in the direction of the livestock car.

None of them noticed the beautiful redhead with the odd tattoo between her breasts sitting several rows down from them, listening to their every word.

* * *

Al blinked his nonexistent eyes as the door opened and a familiar figure was silhouetted by the brightness.

"Big brother Harry? Is that you?" the largest of the three brothers asked softly.

"Yeah, It's me." Harry answered.

"Not that I mind the company, but why are you here?" Al asked.

"To apoligize mostly." Harry sighed.

"But you didn't..."

"Yeah, I didn't. But that doesn't excuse the fact that my actions are the cause of this. If I hadn't been so loose with my eye, I wouldn't have stolen his families techniques. Then maybe he wouldn't have taken his anger out on you."

"Harry, all I can say is that all you can do is try to make amends. Try to make it up to him, and maybe he'll lose that chip on his shoulder."

"Heh, Everyone always said that you were wise beyond your years Al. The train is gonna stop soon, So Ed and I are gonna get you out of here and into some fresh air as soon as possible." Harry murmured.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." The youngest brother said happily.

* * *

Hours passed and train stopped off to refuel at an out of the way station. The Frozen heavens alchemist was reading a book he purchased earlier that day. All the while Ed and Harry were sound asleep.

The silver haired man let out a tremendous yawn and looked out the window. The alchemist's eyes bulged when he saw an older man with black hair streaked with grey stroll past.

Ed yelped as the larger man pushed him aside and knocked the small blond out of his seat as he stuck his head out the window.

"DR. MARCOH! AREN'T YOU DR. MARCOH THE RESEARCHER? IT'S TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA, FROM CENTRAL!" the man yelled.

The color drained from the older man's face, and then he dashed off as if the hounds of Hell were nipping at his heels.

"Was that someone you know?" Ed blinked.

"He was a skilled alchemist who worked with the research department at central. He was researching new types of medical alchemy, but vanished before his work was complete." The silver haired man explained.

A familiar gleam shone in the middle brother's eye. The one he had whenever a new lead sprung up.

"We're getting off here!" Harry said sharply as he darted off.

"What's the rush? Aren't we getting off at Resembool?" the ice alchemist sputtered.

"No! If this guy was involved in medical research, then he has to know something about biological transmutation too!" Ed piped up as he followed his brother.

The trio quickly made their way through the throng of passengers and waved down one of the porters.

"Excuse me! We need to get our luggage, ASAP!" Ed cackled.

A few moments later, the crate containing Al was hauled out of the livestock car, with one minor alteration.

"Wow Al, you smell like sheep!" Ed giggled.

"Hey! I can't help what I smell like at the moment! Cut me some slack!" Al sputtered.

"I don't why I even bother!" Harry groaned.

None of the quartet noticed the redheaded woman from earlier standing in the entry way of the dining car a few down the way.

"Dr Marcoh? Ara, Ara! Isn't this interesting?" she murmured.

Glossary of terms for this chapter

Armestris: A nation several hundred miles off the coast of Europe. Shortly after its founding and the development of it's cheif resource, alchemy, the nation untderwent a drastic isolationist political revolution. The nation's leaders even went as far as to ask that their country be kept off all world maps and globes, so as to avoid alchemy spreading beyond their boarders. Another interesting point is the uniques calendar system employed by Armestris; the dates and months are accurate, but they are a century behind the rest of the world.

Rokushiki ryu: Six Powers Style

_Rankyaku_ (嵐脚) - Literally, _Storm Leg_. A projectile technique in which the user kicks out at very high speeds and strength, sending out a sharp "air blade" that can slice objects and greatly damage a human body.

Kami-e (紙絵) - Literally, _Paper Drawing_. A technique in which the user makes their body as flexible as a piece of paper in order to avoid any attacks.

Geppou (月歩) - Literally, Moon Step. A technique in which the user actually jumps off the air itself, allowing them to stay in the air for much longer than usual. People who can use this technique to cross great distances without ever touching the ground, or set themselves up for swift, aerial attacks. While the technique itself affords several advantages in both in and out of battle for the user, it has but one flaw: since its usage depends heavily on the user's legs, restraining pinning down their lower body can significantly disrupt the Geppou.

Shigan (指銃) - Literally, Finger Gun. A technique in which the user pushes their finger into a certain target at very high speed, leaving a wound similar to a bullet wound, making guns unnecessary.

Soru (剃) - Literally, _to Shave_. A technique in which the user moves at very high speeds in order to avoid attacks, as well as to attack at higher speeds. It is the principle of this move that the user must gain and make use of at least ten times the normal amount of leg strength

_Tekkai_ (鉄塊) - Literally, _Iron Mass_. A technique in which the user hardens his or her muscles to be as hard as iron in order to nullify damage taken from attacks. However, it can be broken by strong enough forces. The strength of _tekkai_ can vary for users with different physical conditions, as a person with a higher level of muscular strength would be able to take stronger forces with his use of _tekkai_. Furthermore, despite the increased physical density that one gains when activating this move, one should remember that the user's body is still flesh and blood. Thus, its resistance to other solid attacks remains pretty much the same, making the user as vulnerable as ever to certain attacks. As such, even masters of Tekkai are far from indestructible.

**Ok, here's the next chapter, like I promised. Sorry about it being so late. Between having to deal with nutball relatives and last minute Christmas shopping, I've had a hard time getting this chapter finished. . But I promise you that these opening parts are going to be the only ones that strictly follows cannon. And as for it taking too long for him to get to Hogwarts, I promise only one or two chapters max until Harry meets Hagrid and off to the magical world. I have had this outline in my head since this idea came into my head a year ago, and I want to follow that outline as best as possible. And as for those of you who complained that this story was following the story too closely, you're right, but please consider that I have the fullmetal Alchemist time line to contend with. I already have to alter ages and dates of specific events in addition to figuring out what FMA events happen during Harry's summer, and during the school year. So please be patient and give this story a chance before you decide to condemn it. **


	9. Chapter 8: The Lost One

Chapter 8: The Lost One

"SAVE ME LITTLE BROTHER…SA-A-A-AVE ME!"- Ed

It was several hours later that Al and Harry were parked on the train platform waiting for their two elder traveling companions to return with some useful information. It had been decided by both elders that Al was to guard the luggage, and Harry was to guard Al.

"This bites! I should be out there looking for Marcoh, not sitting here doing nothing." The middle brother muttered mutinously.

"Since I'm damaged, I would only slow Ed and the major down. With the beating we've taken, neither of us would be of much use. And someone has to look after me..." Al said softly.

Harry sighed, "I know I just hate feeling useless."

"Well you don't have to feel useless for much longer! We got and address, so hopefully we can track this guy down and get some answers!" Ed said as he and Toshiro returned.

* * *

A short time later, the four found themselves looking at a modest looking apartment complex.

"And so the woman said 'there was this bright flash of light, and suddenly I could breathe again!' " Ed explained.

"So that was when you realized that he was using alchemy to heal the townspeople." Harry summarized.

"But that still doesn't explain the reason why Dr. Marcoh ran." Al said from his perch on the frozen heavens alchemist's shoulders.

"Well, all the classified files for his latest project disappeared the same day Marcoh did, maybe there's a connection." Their guard chimed in as he knocked on the door and kept half and ear tuned into Ed's angry muttering.

"All I know is that this Dr. Marcoh had better be worth the trouble we've gone through. He had had better be willing to give us some answers, or so help me I'll...**yipes**!"

POW!

The door had been flung open just as the sole occupant fired his pistol at where Ed's head had been only moments before. The short blond flung himself to the ground just in time to avoid the bullet to the skull.

"What did you come here for?" Marcoh snarled.

"Please calm down!" the silver haired man said soothingly.

"You came to take me back didn't you!"

"No, all we want is..."

"Me, right? I won't go back there! Not after what they made me do! I won't I tell you!"

"Please, just listen to what I have to say!"

"And then you'll drag me back! Not a chance! I'd rather kill myself!"

"If you would just..."

"I won't be taken back, you hear me!"

"I said calm down!"

BANG!

He hurled Al, crate and all, like a shot-put, crushing the hysterical man under its weight.

"ACK! Al! Doctor Marcoh You OK?" Harry gaped as he rushed to his brother side.

"I'm fine, but I don't think I can say the same for Marcoh." Al mumbled.

"I've got a loverly bunch o' coconuts..." the older man slurred.

"I'll take that as a no..." Ed snorted, shooting Hitsugaya a dirty look.

"Harry, if you would?" their guard prompted, ignoring Ed's glare.

The middle brother sighed as he opened his third eye. "Now Dr. Marcoh, look at the birdie!"

Colored lights flashed before the scientist's eyes, and he knew no more.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village near the train station, Lust was pacing. Normally, she kept her nerves in line and was as cool on the inside as she was on the outside, but this instance was special.

The fact was, that unless she and her brothers did something drastic, their plan, which was decades in the making, was going to be blown out of the water by one unforeseen coincidence. And that coincidence was named Dr. Marcoh.

For an instance like this… a plan was needed.

"Come Gluttony, we have work to do!" the fem fatal said softly as she strode purposefully down the road, her chubby companion at her heels.

* * *

"Ugh! You just had to knock him out! If you had just had a little patience, we could have interrogated the old geezer and been on our way by now!" Ed raged.

"It couldn't be helped. The man was waving a pistol in our faces. It was either subdue Marcoh, or someone gets their head blown off! I was with him during the Ishvalran rebellion. In addition to being a top notch researcher and medic, he was a pretty good shot. The Fuhrer charged me with your safety, and I always take my job seriously." Toshiro said shortly as he laid the elderly man onto his bunk.

"I suppose your reasoning was sound, I guess all we can do is wait until he comes to, and then ask him about his research." Alphonse sighed.

"I guess you're right, oh well, we might was well look at some of his journals and see if we can find anything of use…" Harry shrugged as he pulled a volume from the doctor's collection and looked it over.

Hours passed until finally…

"Ugh…me head…what hit me?" the gray haired man moaned as he woke up.

"Lay back and rest. You took a pretty serious knock to the head." Toshiro muttered softly as he handed the doctor a glass of water.

"Blow to the…ye Gods!" Marcoh gasped as he sat up and surged to his feet.

"You have to get me out of here! If you found me, they can't be far behind! If we stay here for too long none of us will make it out alive!" Marcoh babbled.

"Who are coming for you? What are you talking about?" Ed sputtered as the researcher latched into his coat.

"The homunculus! Those horrific demons and their toadies will be here soon! We have to leave now!"

"I say we follow his advice and leave. Something's got him spooked, and given our diminished capacity, we should depart as soon as…" the ice alchemist trailed off.

SCHNKIT!

SCHNKIT!

SCHNKIT!

SCHNKIT!

SCHNKIT!

Al's eyes bulged as…something…cut a series of diagonal slashes through the walls that shredded the barrier between them like paper.

When the dust cleared, the five of them gaped at the sight of a voluptuous red head with what appeared to be lances in place of fingers.

"Hello boys, I heard on the grapevine that you're looking for something that I have in my possession. Come and get, it if you think you're man enough!" cooed the mystery woman as she held up a glowing red stone the size of her fist.

The brothers stood there dumbly as the lance fingered woman held up just what they had been searching for all these years, and promptly jumped upward and out of sight.

"Come on Harry! If that stone is what I think it is, we have to catch her! This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Ed cackled as he leaped out the hole and followed her via the streets.

"Ed! Wait a second!" the middle brother barked as he followed behind, only pausing long enough to give a quick order.

"Al, Toshiro, stay here and watch Marcoh! Ed and I will follow that woman as best we can!" Harry barked as he leaped.

* * *

BANG!

A back blur ran out of the basement and tacked Toshiro to the ground.

The Ice Alchemist cracked his elbow across the attacker's face and sent him flying across the room.

Gluttony righted himself in midair and landed on all fours. He latched onto the nearest blunt object and hurled it at Hitsugaya's head. The ice alchemist ducked, and the projectile that was meant for him smashed Marcoh into the wall, knocking him out like a light.

Gluttony charged forward and grabbed the grey haired man around the middle and crushed him in a mighty bear hug.

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

Toshiro punched his opponent in the face again and again, driving Gluttony back toward the open basement door, but that was hindered by the fact that Al was in the way. The overweight Homunculi shoved Al's crated form down the stairs.

BANG!

"ACK!"

WHAM!

"AWK!"

BOOM

"ERK!"

Tpshiro lashed out and slammed the door.

"Gluttony! Knock it off! It's me!" the alchemist barked.

The overweight consumer lunged forward and bit down on Toshiro's head.

CRUNCH!

Gluttony easily ripped off the alchemist's head. The body slumped forward like a puppet with its strings cut.

The short homunculus leered and prepared to take another bite, when the body jerked to life, and slammed its knee into its opponents crotch hard enough to lift the carnivore off his feet. Gluttony let out a falsetto squeal of pain as he dropped the corpse.

Muscle and sinew crept up the not so dead corpse's severed neck, as soon as its mouth regenerated, it let out a continuous babble, until a brain to control it was generated as well.

"Urgh abslasm! Hagahth! Flamba...Gluttony you moron! It's me! Envy!" the now revealed homunculus snarled as the rest of his body came into being. His body shimmered as he turned back into his normal form.

"But…er…huh? What are you doing here?" Gluttony gulped.

"I was told to impersonate that brat Toshiro. Pride and Wrath have that runt, Hitsugaya, on ice. I'm supposed to make sure that our precious sacrifices don't buy it, what with Scar on the loose." Envy snorted as he got to his feet.

"But what about the real Toshiro?" the over eater blinked.

"Father brought in some people from overseas to make sure the little boy only remember what we want him to. Now I want you to Grab Marcoh and meet Lust at the rendezvous point. And for the love of all that's unholy, make sure you don't eat him!" Envy barked as he picked up the downed doctor and shoved him into Gluttony's arms and out the door.

"Now to resume my part of the act…" Envy muttered as he morphed into a heavily wounded version of the frozen heavens alchemist.

* * *

Meanwhile, while all this was going on…Ed and Harry were doing their best to catch the mystery woman with what appeared to be a philosopher's stone.

"What's the matter boys? Can't keep up?" Lust giggled as he hotfooted it along the rooftops.

"Hold it right there…bitch!" Ed snarled as he leaped onto a fire escape and flipped himself onto the roof.

"My, my, aren't you persistent. I like that! Too bad our chase ends here…"

She lashed out as a bank of exposed piping, slicing them apart and hitting Ed in the face with a steam cloud.

"ACK! Where'd she go!' the fullmetal alchemist sputtered as he lost her in the cloud.

"That was too easy!" the voluptuous woman grinned

"Now I got ya!" Harry barked as he lunged for the stone.

"Too slow!" lust smirked as she casually swayed out of the way.

Harry yelped as he hit the incline face first and tumbled out of sight.

Ed finally found his way out of the steam cloud, just in time to watch Lust jump off the roof, land high heels first on harry…

"ACK!" the three eyed boy yelped.

And run off.

"Damn it Harry! Less slacking and more running!" the oldest brother barked as he grabbed his younger sibling by the collar and dragged the boy behind him.

Lust turned down and alleyway and ran full tilt toward the wall at the end.

"No way out now lady! It's a dead end!" Ed said triumphantly.

"No problem!" Lust smirked as she leaped twenty feet into the air and easily cleared the wall.

Ed snarled as he threw his still comatose brother and at barrier and used him as a stepping stool.

"You're not getting away that easily…eh?"

Ed gaped when he saw that the woman was standing on top of a street sign, easy as you please. Ed followed her gesture when she pointed down, and saw that she was indicating the pack of bulldogs waiting for him just as he cleared the top of the divider.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ed howled.

"GRRRR!

"WOOF!"

"ARF ARF!"

"RUFF RUFF!"

"SAVE ME LITTLE BROTHER…SA-A-A-AVE ME!" the eldest brother wailed as the pack turned him into their new chew toy.

"Urg…when I catch that woman…she won't know what hit her…" Harry grunted as he got to his feet.

"Save me! Save me! Save me-e-e-e-e!" Ed wailed.

Rolling his eyes, Harry drew a quick transmutation circle and created a doorway out of the bricks. When he stepped though the new portal, he was treated to the amusing sight of his brother being chewed on, jumped on, and humped by several dogs at once.

"Easy boy, step away from the blond…and no one gets hurt." Harry glowered.

"Grrrr!" one of the bulldogs snarled.

"Fine then…have it your way!" Harry snorted as he opened his third eye.

The dogs turned took one look at the third optic and ran with their tails between their legs.

"YIPE! YIPE! YIPE!" the leader of the pack squealed.

"Brother, are you ok?" Harry asked as he poked his disheveled sibling with s stick.

"I'm…gonna…KILL HER!" Ed bellowed as he scrambled to his feet as tore off in the direction the mystery woman had fled.

"Here we go again…" Harry sighed.

* * *

"Heh, another day, another task accomplished!" Lust chirped as she gazed into the red stone in her hand. She perked up when she felt a pair of presences on the edge of her senses. Ed and Harry.

"Give us the stone and you won't get hurt!" Ed scowled.

"And if I don't?" Lust grinned.

"You won't like what happens, I can promise you that!" the dark haired boy grunted.

"So either, a: I give you the stone, or b: we fight it out again?" the redhead blinked.

"Yep."

"In that case, I choose option c:…"

SCHNKIT!

SCHNKIT!

She jammed her finger lances into the roof under her feet and cut a half circle out of it. Ed and Harry gaped as the wedge shaped chunk slid off the roof and out of sight.

"Run like the wind! OH-HO-HO-HO-HO!" Lust cackled.

"Damn it!" Harry snarled as he leaped after her.

When the two touched down, they gaped at the sight of the smashed chunk of masonry and an open manhole.

"Oh for the love of alchemy…" Ed moaned.

"Come on, we came this far…we might as well go all the way." Harry snorted as he dragged his brother (who was at this point practically foaming at the mouth) into the sewers after him.

* * *

It was over an hour later when the brothers finally managed to pick up the trail. Lust had led them on a merry chase through the city sewers. The trio finally returned to the surface right outside the train station.

"Are you boys finished already? I could do this all day!" Lust giggled as she leaped over the turnstile vanished into the crowd.

"Where the hells did she disappear to now?" Ed shrieked.

"Over here boys!" the mystery woman called out.

"Ed's jaw dropped when he spied their quarry…who was perched on an outbound train that was rapidly speeding into the distance.

"And say hi to your brother, Toshiro, and that **delightful** Dr. Marcoh for me!" she yelled as the train sped out of sight.

Ed and Harry looked at each other as the woman's words sank in: _"We f***** up big time, didn't we?"_ they both thought.

* * *

It was a bedraggled quintet that boarded the train the next day. Toshiro was covered in bandages from his "brawl" with Gluttony, Ed and Harry were depressed, and Al was even more banged up than before. And unbeknown to any of them, a note was nestled in Ed's pocket (planted by Dr Marcoh) that would lead them deeper into the mystery of the philosopher's stone.

* * *

"WAIT! FER THE LOVE O' MAGIC, STOP THAT BLOODY TRA-A-A-A-IN!" Hagrid wailed as he tried to catch the outbound train to Resembool.

**Ok people the next chapter is the big one...the one you've all been waiting for. Harry meets Hagrid and gets whisked off to the magical world...But now without some added complication. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	10. Chapter 8 and a half: Omake Special

**OK here's a little something special for all you patient readers out there**

**Omake special**

"All right, in this scene our favorite little alchemist…" I snickered.

"LET ME AT HIM! I'LL TEAR THE BASTARD LIMB FROM LIMB!" The alchemist in question roared.

"Is going to go berserk and thrash a group of hired thugs. And…ACTION!" I finished.

As he rounded the corner, Ed heard the word "little" and went into berserker mode. He shot them a demonic grin as he transmuted his automail into the most evil blade they had ever seen.

"Mommy!" the head follower whimpered.

"AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

WHAM!

"AIEEEEEE!"

SPLAT!

"NOOOOOOOO!"

HONK, HONK!

Ed and the Clergyman look at each other and shrugged.

WHUMPH!

The thug slammed his boot between Ed's legs. The oldest Elric collapsed in a heap, wheezing and gasping for breath.

"MEDIC!" the blonde whimpered.

"CUT!"

* * *

The extremist collapsed in a charred heap when the flames extinguished. The MPs dove on him and wrapped him from head to toe in chains.

"I went easy on you. I made it hot enough to toast the outer layer of skin and your clothes, but not much else. If I wasn't feeling as generous, I would have burned you to ashes." The dark- haired colonel smirked.

"What…what the hell are you?" Bald hissed.

"I'm faster than a speeding bullet! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! I'm not a bird! I'm not a plane! I'm Mustang man!

"CUT!"

"I blame you for this." Lt. Hawkeye frowned harshly at me.

* * *

The extremist collapsed in a charred heap when the flames extinguished. The MPs dove on him and wrapped him from head to toe in chains.

"I went easy on you. I made it hot enough to toast the outer layer of skin and your clothes, but not much else. If I wasn't feeling as generous, I would have burned you to ashes." The dark haired colonel smirked.

"What…what the hell are you?" Bald hissed.

"I'm too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts!"

"Take it off!" Hawkeye yelled.

"CUT!"

"I'm a model, you know what I mean! And I do my little turn on the catwalk, on the catwalk…"

"Al, if you please?" I asked.

KLANG!

Roy's little musical number was interrupted by Alphonse and a well placed metal foot to his backside knocking the flame alchemist into the ionosphere.

"Thank you!" I said gratefully.

* * *

The extremist collapsed in a charred heap when the flames extinguished. The MPs dove on him and wrapped him from head to toe in chains.

"I went easy on you. I made it hot enough to toast the outer layer of skin and your clothes, but not much else. If I wasn't feeling as generous, I would have burned you to ashes." The dark haired colonel smirked.

"What…what the hell are you?" Bald hissed.

"Getting some tonight, unlike you! Isn't that right dearest?"

"Sorry sir, I have a date tonight." Hawkeye deadpanned.

"Oh, with who?" Mustang blinked.

"With me! Isn't that right lover?" Lust purred as she slinked up to the sharp shooter.

"Of course koibito!" The blond woman grinned as she gave the redhead a soul searing kiss.

SPURT!

SPURT!

SPURT!

SPURT!

SPURT!

SPURT!

Nearly every man in the room collapsed as their noses discharged a fountain of blood.

"C-c-c-cut!" the director slurred weakly.

"Oh for the love of J.K Rowling! I hate this bloody scene! When I can move again, I'm gonna kill that stupid writer!" Harry whimpered from his pace on the floor.

"That goes double for me?" Ed groaned.

"Triple!" Mustang chimed in feebly.

* * *

"Our needs are quite simple. All we want is for you to let us access a better library or introduce us to a state alchemist who specializes in bio alchemy." Harry answered briskly.

"And we need it now!" Ed added.

THWACK!

Harry slapped Ed on the back of the head, and knocked him out cold when his co-star's face slammed into his CO's desk.

"Um, a little help here?" Harry murmured weakly.

Roy hovered over Ed and poked him in the forehead, "Are you OK, Fullmetal?"

"I'm the prettiest girl at the harvest moon ball!" the blonde alchemist twittered drunkenly.

"I'll take that as a no…" Mustang deadpanned.

* * *

The room was large, about twice the size of the living room where they first met. It was lined from floor to ceiling with cages. Those cages were occupied by a menagerie of nightmarish freaks of nature. All ranging from a massive unidentifiable snake with a head so large that it was incapable of moving. Also, a screaming monkey with three heads (one of which was clearly dead, ripped apart by the other two). Also there was a…Mr. Potato head floating in a jar of unknown liquid?

"All right! What happened to the mechanical goats head? Have you seen it Lust?" I scowled.

"I haven't seen it. Have you?" Lust asked gluttony

"MMPH!" (No!) the overweight Homunculi shrugged innocently, despite his bulging cheeks.

"HEY!" Ed scowled…

THWACK!

Smacking the homunculi on the back of the head and making him spit out the prop.

"No eating the scenery!" I said sharply.

"HISSSS!" the glutton noised.

SMACK!

Lust thwacked him on the back of the head.

"What was that for?" he whined.

"We're in the middle of a scene! Control yourself!" she admonished

"Control myself? I'm the incarnation of gluttony! I can't control myself! That's the whole idea!" the eater said incredulously.

"Well you'd better start soon! I don't care how hungry you are! No eating the scenery! I growled.

"You're not the boss of me!" the piggish homunculus sniffed.

"Like Hell I'm not! From now on, no eating anything on the set, or so help me, the next fanfic I cast you in will be a slash fic starring you and Scar!" I scowled.

"EEP! I'll be good!" Gluttony whimpered.

"He's got you whipped!" Envy snickered

"Watch it, breadstick!" Gluttony glowered.

* * *

Harry backed away and looked on in mute horror as the violet gas made its way into the mask, forcing the grey haired man to breathe it in.

"NNNGGGH! No, for the love of god, NOT AGAIN!"

That was when Harry remembered Tucker's lat words to him "Play nice with Doctor Langdon! He tends to get…nervous…rather easily."

The middle brother watched as the man body changed. His skin turned purple and soft, almost like felt or foam rubber. His fingers and toes retracted and turned his hands into something resembling mittens. His head grew to gargantuan size as his face ballooned outward and his eyes lost all semblance of rational thought.

"I love you! You Love me! We're a happy family!" the hideous monstrosity sang.

"ARGH! RUN AWAY! RUN AWAY!" Harry howled as he and the rest of the cast and crew ran from the unholy monster.

* * *

"You brazen insurrectionists make my blood boil! You think that you can just kill everybody here? Don't make me laugh! If you want to get to them, you have to get through me first! I'm Alex Louis Armstrong, the Strong Arm Alchemist." The bald man roared as he yanked his fist out of the wall, collapsing it.

"EEK! PEEPING TOM!" A "woman" screamed as everyone looked into the newly made hole in "her" bathroom wall.

"CUT!" the director barked.

"Get Ed out of there!" I snarled as Al dragged his towel clad, wig wearing brother away.

* * *

"Harry! What does your third eye say about his power level!" Ed asked nervously.

"IT'S OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAANNNNNDDDDDDD!" the middle brother roared dramatically.

"CUT!" the director bellowed.

"That's the **last** time I ever let the cast watch Dragon Ball Z before we shoot a scene..." I muttered under my breath.

* * *

"Damn it Harry! Less slacking and more running!" the oldest brother barked as he grabbed his younger sibling by the collar and dragged the boy behind him.

Lust turned down and alleyway and ran full tilt toward the wall at the end.

"No way out now lady! It's a dead end!" Ed said triumphantly.

"No problem!" Lust smirked as she leaped twenty feet into the air and easily cleared the wall.

Ed snarled as he threw his still comatose brother and at barrier and used him as a stepping stool.

"You're not getting away that easily…eh?"

Ed gaped when he saw that the woman was standing on top of a street sign, easy as you please. Ed followed her gesture when she pointed down, and saw that she was indicating the one thing that all anime and fanfiction characters alike feared above all others…not death…not cancelation…not flamers… but the dreaded… pit o' yaoi fangirls

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ed howled.

"ROYxED FOREVER!" the fangirls yowled.

"LONG LIVE MUSTANGxARMSTRONG!" the fangirls screeched.

"HAIL ENVYxGLUTTONY!" the fangirls bellowed.

"Quick! Someone distract them so we can save Ed" I yelled.

The female fic characters all looked at each other and came to the same inescapable decision.

The grabbed Roy and Hughes and tossed them to the wolves while the rest of the cast grabbed Ed and ran for it.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	11. Chapter 9: The Fated Meeting

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I wish I did, but I don't. And guest star Yūko Ichihara** **belongs to CLAMP. I'm just borrowing them for my own amusement.**

Chapter 9: A Fated Meeting

Moro, Maru; bring him inside, won't you? We have a customer, a _very_ important customer.- Yūko

Harry let out a tired sigh as he stepped off the train. It had been several days since him, Toshiro, and Ed had gotten their butts handed to them and lost Dr Marcoh and the philosopher's stone. It didn't help that the three brothers knew they would get a chewing out for smashing not one… but two perfectly good pieces of automail that had been handcrafted only a few months earlier, in addition to coming back beaten to a pulp.

Yeah… a warm homecoming indeed.

* * *

Granny Pinako hummed to herself as she tightened a joint on her latest customers automail brace. While it wasn't as good as the real deal (in her opinion), it was good enough for people who didn't want to brave the pain of getting real automail. And it put money in the Rockbell coffer, which was always fine in her book.

"There, you're all set. Now make sure to be back here in six months for your next checkup and maintenance. You had some minor rust damage that could have made things difficult for you in the long run if you had waited any longer." The matriarch said shortly as she tapped the prosthetic with her ever present pipe.

"That's what I get for going out in the middle of a monsoon with a metal leg...ah, that feels good! Now I remember why I always come to you, doc. You're the best." Her patient chucked as got to his feet and rolled down his pants leg, making sure to give her a check in payment of work well done.

"That may be true, but it doesn't change the fact that that brace isn't what you need. Are you sure that I can't talk you into upgrading to a full prosthetic?" the elderly woman asked.

"Heck no! It might be handier, but it's not worth the pain. The surgery is pure agony, the post surgery process is hell, and the rehabilitation is pure torture! I'm not that brave!"

"Humph! I know two brats who are a quarter your age who got two automail limbs a piece grafted onto their bodies. Are you saying that you're not as brave as a ten year old and a thirteen year old?" Pinako snorted disdainfully.

"Like I said before, I'm not that brave, I'll see you in six months." The man said as he hobbled down the lane.

_"Humph, the world would be a better place if more people had the courage of those three boys of mine…hope they come to visit soon" _the matronly lady thought to herself.

The elder Rockbell blinked when she spied their pet Labrador, Den, trotting out of the house. He stuck his nose in the air and took a long sniff.

"AROOOOO!" the hound bayed as he took off like a shot down the dirt road in front of the house.

"Heh, ask and ye shall receive! WINRY! THE BOYS ARE HOME!" the grey haired woman yelled.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside, a young blond girl about Ed's age was using on a precision instrument to craft a part for an automail.

Sliver after sliver was carved out of the chunk of steel as she whittled away to carve one part of a future automail limb

"WINRY! THE BOYS ARE HOME!" her grandmother yelled.

The blond cut the flame to her torch and flipped her welding mask up, revealing a cherubic face that would soon blossom into a beauty that would turn many male heads. But all she was concerned with at the moment was the fact that her old friend had finally come for a much belated visit.

* * *

Harry and Ed were supporting Al's crate between them with a shoulder a piece. All the while, Toshiro was bringing up the rear.

"Ah, home sweet home! It's good to be back!" Harry chuckled to himself while Den capered around them, elated to have the prodigal sons home once more.

"Yeah, home is where the heart is!" Ed nodded sagely, ignoring the itching sensation under his bandages.

"You got that right runt! You don't come home often enough!" Granny cackled as the four came to a stop in front of her.

"WHO YOU CALLIN' RUNT, MICRO MIDGET?" Ed barked back.

"YOU CHIBI CHUMP!" Pinako snarled

"OH YEAH, YOU GUPPY GEEZER? The eldest brother roared.

"YEAH, YOU PINT SIZED PIN HEAD!" The matriarch shrieked.

"Geeze it good to see you!" Ed chuckled as he pulled into a tight hug, which Pinako gladly reciprocated.

"You don't come home often enough!" She admonished.

"Yeah, but you know how we need to keep hoping! A new lead always seems to pop up!" Harry chuckled.

"Oh gag me!" Hitsugaya muttered.

"Oh, and who's this?" the grey automail expert asked, narrowing her eyes at the newcomer.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya, Frozen Heavens Alchemist, and bodyguard to the Elric Brothers Ma'am!" the silver haired man said crisply.

"A bodyguard huh, and what have you boys been doing that deserves this kind of treatment?" Winry's grandmother asked just as coolly.

"Um…"Al muttered.

"Er…" Harry hemmed.

"Ah…" Ed hawed

* * *

"Those dummies! I tell them time and time again to call before they show up so we can prepare! But noooooo, they just show up out of the blue and we have to scramble around like chickens with our heads cut off to compensate! I'll teach that little piece of shit not to mess with Winry Rockbell!" the blond girl muttered as she stripped off the upper part of her coveralls, revealing the skimpy tube top underneath.

"HEY ED!" Winry barked.

* * *

They were saved from having to answer by a monkey wrench that slammed in Ed's forehead with the accuracy of a sniper rifle.

WHANG!

"OW!"

The next several events that took place from here left everyone gaping.

Ed stumbled back into Harry, who was holding up Al with Toshiro while the elder brother and Pinako talked.

Harry and Ed went down in a tangle of limbs while Toshiro tried vainly to compensate and hold up Al's crated form.

Al tumbled off the silver haired man's shoulders and slid back down the hill he had just come up from.

"SOMEONE STOP THIS CRAZY THING!" the youngest brother bawled.

"DON'T WORRY LITTLE BROTHER! I'M COMING! HEY YOU, WATCH OUT! RUNAWAY ALPHONSE!" Ed bellowed as he scrambled after his sibling.

"Hey, Winry, are you trying to kill us or something?" Harry yelled up to the blond girl.

"That's just my way of saying welcome home!" Pinako's granddaughter bellowed back.

"Welcome home indeed!" Harry chuckled wryly.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BROKE TWO PIECES OF AUTOMAIL?" the junior mechanic shrieked as she gaped at the metallic stump of what used to be Harry's right arm. Ed was reluctant to take off his jacket and reveal the charred remains of the generator housing of his missing limb.

"Well… we kind of got into a brawl, and the limbs got broken, it couldn't be helped." Ed said lamely.

"Well at least tell me that you saved the pieces! At least I should be able to save time and money by salvaging a component or two!" the blond girl exclaimed.

"Er, well, by broken I mean that both arms were disintegrated into tiny chunks of metal. There wasn't anything left…" the oldest brother winced.

Winry stumbled backwards, seemingly in a daze, that daze quickly turned into righteous fury as she unleashed her ire on Ed's cranium by way of her trusty wrench.

WHANG!

"OW!"

THWACK!

"AWK!"

BONG!

"ERK!"

"And what about you Al, you're more banged up than usual. What do you three do to get so beat up anyway…" Pinako's granddaughter scowled at the youngest as her guardian wrenched the tool out of Ed's skull and dragged his carcass into a nearby examination room.

"But mommy…I don't want go to school! I wanna play ball!" Ed slurred deliriously.

"So Winry, how long is it going to take this time to fix my big brothers up?" Al asked.

"That's what I'd like to know. I have places to be and would like to get these three out from under my feet as soon as possible." Toshiro sniffed.

"Well that depends on several factors. I can whip up a quality arm in as little as three days if I work through the first day and pull an all nighter on the second. Granny can craft automail in her sleep, so that not a problem. All we're waiting on now is Ed's prognosis. He was pretty heavily bandaged, and injuries can have an effect on how well a body adapts to automail…" Wiry explained.

"OH MY SWEET MERCIFUL HEAVENS!" Pinako exclaimed.

Three of the four people in the house (Al was immobilized, so he had to listen from where he was placed) ran for the examination room. The sight that met her eyes almost made Winry lose her lunch. The burns along Ed's shoulder and neck were infected to an extreme degree. The flesh was a sickly yellow on the edges while the center area was red and inflamed. Not only that, but the pores were secreting a vile looking yellow green pus.

"I've never seen an infection this bad! It looks like whatever quack 'treated you' (and I use the term loosely) only slapped a bandage on the burn! They didn't even bother to disinfect it! Did you even see this get treated?" Pinako asked hotly.

"Erm…no. I was unconscious while they treated me. When I woke up the doctors told me all I had to do was change the bandages every other day." Ed said lamely.

"Well this takes the cake… from the look of this burn it'll take at least four to five months minimum to heal the wound." Winry commented dryly.

"And the generator casing is shot to blazes. I'll have to replace almost the entire hookup. And that'll take at least another month to finish." Pinako snorted as she prodded the blackened and charred piece of machinery.

"So we're looking at least a six month delay. Just bloody perfect!" Harry moaned.

"You think you have it bad? Look at me! I'm supposed to be back in central in a month minimum! Now it looks like I have to spend almost half a year babysitting you three!" Toshiro snarled.

"Sucks to be you! You're not the one with a possibly life threatening wound! So suck up and deal!" Ed spat

* * *

It was later that night when Pinako and Winry cornered Harry.

"Are you going to tell us what happened or not?" the blond girl scowled.

"You know I can't! Ed would murder me if I told you what happened to us!" Harry whined.

"Tough cookies! I'm not buying that tripe your older brother slung about a sparring accident with Mustang! I have all the time in the world you keep you here until you spill like an overturned drinking cup!" Winry's grandmother scowled.

"And remember…we have ways of making you talk!" Winry glared as she held up a particularly sharp tool.

THWACK!

Pinako slapped her granddaughter upside the head.

"We don't harm the patients!" the Rockbell matriarch snapped.

"Sorry…" Winry said meekly.

Harry sighed… "All right! All right! I'll talk!"

The next two hours were spent by Harry weaving the tale of the past several weeks, from the Liore incident, to Shou Tucker and his horrible experiments, all the way up to the brawl with Scar and the aftermath.

"Wow! You boys don't do things by half, do you?" Winry snorted.

"You realize that you can't tell Ed and Al about me blabbing about this? He would have my nuts on a platter. He prefers to think that keeping you in the dark keeps the two of you safe. Let's allow him to keep that fantasy." Ed pleaded.

"I suppose I can agree to that…" Pinako nodded.

* * *

It was several days later and the diagnosis looked grim…for one of the Elric Brothers anyway. Winry and Granny Pinako had halted the spread of the infection, although the downside was that their prediction proved accurate and Ed would have to remain confined to his bed for the next month. Of course, the elder brother didn't take that news very well.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T LEAVE THE HOUSE?" Ed wailed.

"Do you want to risk that infection flaring up again? I know how much you boys like to horse around, and that's the last thing you need at the moment!" Pinako's granddaughter admonished.

"But I hate sitting around! It makes me all twitchy! And why does Harry get to leave? He's missing a limb too!" Ed cackled.

"Because unlike you, he has the common sense to keep out of trouble!" The elderly woman snorted.

"Most of the time!" Winry sighed.

* * *

Harry trooped through the countryside with Den at his side.

"Yo Harry! Wa's up!" one of Harry's old friends yelled as the black haired youth walked by. The older boy was somewhere between Ed and Al in height, he had a broad honest face framed by long brown hair.

"Matsa? Is that you? I don't believe it! Last time I saw you, you were shorter than Ed!" Harry chortled.

"WHA? Watch your mouth you runt! I can still take you nine round outta ten!"

"Whatever! So are you gonna tell me what new in the boonies or what?" The three eyed boy snorted as he sat on a nearby stone wall.

"Not much Linda had another rug rat."

"Another one? That makes it kid number…what…six?"

"Five but who's counting?"

"Yeah we are numb nuts! Anything else?"

"Oh yeah, one more thing. A witch moved into the property on the edge of clovers field."

Harry shot the older boy a weird look; "You have GOT to be shitting me. Do you honestly expect me to believe that an honest to goodness witch, with a broomstick and a cauldron, has moved into that old lot that Old Man Clover has been trying to sell for who knows how long? Please."

"It's true! People go in, they come back out and weird stuff happens afterward!"

"I repeat…your shitting me!"

"No! I swear!" You know how Tabby's husband got into that accident in the fields a few years ago. And afterward he couldn't have kids no more?"

"Yeah. You're point is?"

"Well, she went to this weird lady, Yūko, and begged her for help. A few weeks later she finds out she has a bun in the oven! And after the kid was born, Tabitha became barren and couldn't have any more kids!"

"So she slept with another guy and it's his spawn! I know you're not that dumb!

FWAP!

"OW!"

Matsa smacked him in the back of the head, "You're the dumb one! You know just as well as I do that Tabby don' do that! She's as loyal as they come. She don't sleep around."

"Just because you have a crush on the firecracker doesn't mean you have to take it out one me…" Harry grumbled as he hopped off the wall and faced to his long time friend.

FWUMP!

"ACK! Hey LEGGO! I don' like bein' manhandled!"

And put him in a headlock and dragged him away.

"I'm gonna prove that there is no such thing as witches, wizards, or magic, and you're being nothing but a superstitious ninny, as usual!"

"OI! Watch your mouth!" Matsa cackled as Harry frog marched the taller boy down the road.

* * *

Harry gazed dispassionately at the house in front of him. It was a tall two story affair, A mansion for lack of a better term. And it was at odds with the fact that there was nothing else for miles around.

"Damn, this is one creepy house!" Harry deadpanned.

"I told you man! I told you!" the older boy muttered.

"All right. I'm gonna prove once and for all that this is one big scam and that magic is a bunch of mumbo jumbo." Harry scowled as he trooped up to the house.

He stepped through the front gate and stood at the beginning of the cobblestone path to the front door.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" Harry cackled as he waggled his butt at the mansion.

"Man, I gotta baaaaad feelin' about this!" Matsa muttered.

"And I'm telling you this magic stuff is just a bunch of hooey!"

"Then why are you walkin' away?" the brown haired man gulped.

"What are you talking about?" Harry sputtered.

Matsa gestured to Harry's feet, and much to the boy's horror, he found that they were moving of their own accord, right to the front door.

"HEY! Stop feet! I'm ordering you to halt! Whoa feet, whoa!" Harry yelped as he involuntarily whirled around and ran at the house full tilt.

BANG!

And skull first into it.

"This just isn't my day" Harry muttered as all his thoughts focused on how Granny was either going to laugh her ass off over this or murder him when this got back to her.

Then everything went black.

Matsu's eyes bulged as the mystery woman herself and her two child retainers stepped out and crouched over his fallen friend.

"That tears it. Harry got himself into this mess, I'm not getting him out! I don't wanna be turned into a toad!" the boy gulped as he hightailed it in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Hm, what do we have here?"

"Mistress! It's him!"

"Mistress! It's him!"

"I know, I know; Maru chan, Moro chan. But which him is he? We have so many stop by that it's hard to keep track!"

"_Which_ him? It's hard to keep track!"

"_Which_ him? It's hard to keep track!"

"Hmm, it's not Watanuki-chan."

"_Tee hee hee_, not Watanuki-chan!"

_"Tee hee hee_, not Watanuki-chan!"

"I remember now: kizuato kun!"

"Kizuato kun! Yeah!"

"Kizuato kun! Yeah!"

"Moro, Maru; bring him inside, won't you? We have a customer, a _very_ important customer."

"Hai!"

"Hai!"

* * *

Harry's senses rebooted themselves one by one.

First was sent: A fine woman's perfume mixed with various brands of incense, a heady aroma that played havoc with the boy's senses and left him feeling warm and more than a little breathless.

Then came hearing: the soothing, mellow sound of a waterfall chimed and gurgled in the background.

Soon came taste, Harry could feel the odd flavor of sandalwood and jasmine on his tongue.

"UGH! My head feels like Al did the Lambda on it." The three eyed boy moaned.

"Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" someone asked.

"Yes that would make my day!" Harry groaned before he realized what he was saying.

At that moment, the feeling of touch asserted itself. Just as a feather light pair of lips descended on his forehead, and for a moment, a touch of liquid fire felt like it was roaring through Harry's veins.

Finally came sight, Harry's eyes shot open to take in the sight of the loveliest women he had even seen cradling his head in her lap. She had long silky black hair that flowed down her back like like a gentle mountain river. Her skin was pale as freshly fallen snow and perfect as porcelain. She gazed at him through hypnotic sepia-hued eyes. She wore an ornate silver choker around her neck with a black crescent moon pendant, and her perfect curves were hidden behind a loose white kimono, patterned with pink roses, that enhanced her already ethereal beauty. She was the type of woman that was best described as look but don't touch. Men desired her, lusted for her, yearned for her, but no one would ever own her heart.

"Moro, Maru, would you two be dears and bring Kizuato kun and myself some tea. He seems to need something to…cool off!" Yūko cooed.

"Yes'm!"

"Yes'm!"

"Now, let me see..." she murmured looked into his eyes. To him, the woman appeared to be positively glowing with a faint white aura that brought out her exhilarating beauty even more, her soft, slender hands framed his face. Harry was unable to tear himself away from her entrancing gaze.

"Um…er…were those your…er…children?" Harry slurred as his higher motor functions came back online slowly.

"My, my! How thoughtful of you to ask, but no. They are my beloved retainers!"

The remarkable aura from a few seconds before receded, only to have a pair of cherubic faces crowd into his field of vision. Leaning over the shoulders of the sorceress, they both wore glowing smiles that made them look even more adorable. Just as he suspected, they were twin girls, probably around six or seven years old, the matching amber eyes, and the porcelain skin that was so very much like their "mistress".

There were only a few things that allowed him to differentiate them. Maru (he supposed) had seriously, seriously poofy dark blue hair, and it was very long, and tied into an elaborately plaited braid. Her clothes, a velvety black and white coat over a pair of grey slacks, both had a noticeably devilish slant, with sharp angular "batty" cuts on the trim.

On the other hand, Moro (again, he supposed) had super curvy cherry blossom pink hair, reaching down to her shoulders. In fact, her cherry locks was so curvy that some of her hair coiled all the way into a pair of small buns, and what she wore for clothes was decidedly innocent…even angelic. A white dress with poofy shoulders, with tiny feather white wings on the back, a soft trim, and a black ribbon tied into a bow around her waist.

Harry took a deep breath and tried valiantly to contain the blush creeping over his face "Um, excuse me, but-"

"Ichihara Yūko," she grinned.

"Ahh, um, miss Ichihara, er…"

"Of course, that's an assumed name, you know."

The alchemist blinked. "Say what?"

"And you've already met these children, my two darling assistants! The one in black is my dear Maru-dashi, and the white one is my darling Moro-dashi, aren't the most delightful pair you've ever seen?"

_"Why 'Streaking' and 'Flashing'? I wonder if she's got some kind of hidden exhibitionist flair?"_ Harry though blearily.

"Yin and Yang; the symbols of light and dark in a person, their inner good and evil."

"Yin and Yang!" the twins mimicked.

"And, no; I don't have an exhibitionist flair, you _naughty_ boy."

"Come to think of it, I was going to say that about the symboli…! What? HUH? How the…ACKIES!" Harry yelped as her words sank in. The boy flipped over and toppled off the couch the two were perched on.

FWUMP!

"OW!"

"Are you all right Kizuato kun?" she giggled.

"Fine! Just fine! But how the heck did you…"

"_Hitsuzen_."

"Huh?"

"_Hitsuzen_: One. A naturally foreordained event. Two. A state in which other outcomes are impossible. Three. A result which can only be obtained by a single causality and other causalities would necessarily create different results. So reads… the Kodansha _Japanese __Desk Dictionary_, edition the second." She smiled softly

Harry sputtered. Maybe if he had not gotten off on the sweet scent of her incense and perfume, not to mention not having fallen on his head only moments before, he might have been able to comprehend what miss Ichihara was trying to get across to him. He would have liked to know, too, how this wonderful woman was reading him like an open book.

"So you're saying," he managed, "it's …_destiny_ or _fate_ that we met?"

"Hmmmm…you could say that."

"Because I believe in destiny and fate just as much as I believe in magic: not at all. In fact all this is nothing but one big coincidence. No ifs, ands, or buts…"

"Hitsuzen."

"Huh?"

"I've already told you once, there is no coincidence, only Hitsuzen."

Harry could only stare in stupefaction as she rose gracefully to her feet and glided past him.

"But now we must move onto business. This is a shop for wishes. And if my reading is correct, you are going to receive a wish. Just not at this moment.

"Wha…b-b-but..."

"It will be several long years before you are old enough, and wise enough to give up what is necessary, to gain what you desire!"

"What are you…?"

"Maru, Moro, if you could please show our guest to the door. Our business is concluded…for now."

"Yes'm!"

"Yes'm!"

Without warning, Harry found himself hauled to his feet by the surprisingly strong grip of the twin attendants.

"Now, I suggest you hurry back to the Rockbells. Someone is waiting for you there that will change the course of your life. And teach you that there is more to heaven and earth than dreamt of in your philosophy…Mr. Potter!"

"But Wait! My name is Elric, not Potter! What are you…"

"Tee-hee-hee! Bye!"

"Tee-hee-hee! Bye!"

FWUMP!

"AWK!" Harry yelped as he was tossed out the door.

"Now you just wait one cotton pickin…what the hell?" Harry sputtered as he surged to his feet and gaped at the empty place where the house occupied. Now there was nothing but pasture.

"What. The. Hell?" the middle brother repeated disbelievingly as Den sniffed the ground where the mansion once stood.

As the three eyes boy stumbled away, he could have sworn he heard Yūko's voice whisper… _"We'll meet again Kizuato kun…sooner than you think."_

* * *

Harry shook his head and trudged wearily up the path to the Rockbell household. His mind was awhirl with the odd happenings of that afternoon. The mysterious Yūko, her disappearing shop, and why she had called him Mr. Potter and why that damn name sounded so agonizingly familiar.

"Honey! I'm ho…huh. Am I interrupting?" Harry asked as he opened the door and stopped in mid step.

The tableau in front of him was what made the boy pause. Toshiro, Pinako, Winry, and Alphonse looked on in amusement as Ed wrestled with a man every bit as huge as Major Armstrong. The source of the brawl was the fact that somehow Ed's normal ears had vanished and been replaced with a set of elongated bunny ears that had been grafted to the top of his head.

"No… no…come in, come in! If what this man has told us is true, then we have **lots** to talk about…" Winry said dryly.

* * *

One explanation later…

"So your name is Hagrid and you're the Groundskeeper at this 'Pigs Pustule' place." Harry ventured.

"Hogwarts" the large man corrected.

"And apparently I'm some kind of wizard that's supposed to go to where I'll learn all about how to turn hedgehogs into pincushions, and birds into down jackets and stuff like that?" Harry continued.

"Yeah. I knew yer parents. And if yea are anythin' like them…than yea'll be a thumpin' good wizard!" Hagrid chortled.

"Excuse me but…BWA-HA HA!" Harry howled as he lost his balance from the sheer force of his laughter.

"Er…" Hagrid muttered uncertainly. Nothing Dumbledore told him about what the boy should be like had prepared him for this.

"HA HA HA!" Harry cackled as he kicked his legs in the air.

"Wha's so funny?" Hagrid sputtered.

Harry wiped the tears from his eyes and stared levelly at the giant bearded man: "No offense, this was a nice prank and all, but you can go back to whoever put you up to this and tell them that I'm not that gullible. There is no such thing as magic. I don't know how you transmuted those bunny ears onto Ed's skull…"

"But…but!" Hagrid sputtered as he tried to get a grasp on the situation.

"But I'm not going to any 'magic school'! I have responsibilities here! I have neither the time nor the desire to go a abroad" Harry said hotly.

"Speaking of which…**change me back**!" Ed bellowed.

"But why? You look sooooo cute!" Winry cooed as she threw her arms around the oldest brother and stroked his new appendages. An action which turned Ed thought processes to mush and left him purring like a contented cat.

"As amusing as this is, I'm afraid your gonna have to leave. Like the boy said. He doesn't want to go. And you won't like what would happen if you tied to force him!" The silver haired alchemist said as he stared down the larger man.

R-I-I-ING!

R-I-I-ING

R-I-I-ING

Pinako shook her head and stumped out of the room to answer the phone.

"Now yea listen here! Harries been on th' list to go to th' finest magic school in Europe since he was born! He might have a responsibility here, but he has just as much to go and learn how to use his gift o' magic! It would be a waste te' do otherwise!" Hagrid fired back hotly.

"YOU'RE WHO?" Winry's grandmother yelped.

Pinako poked her head out the door. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"H-H-Harry…you have a phone call." The Rockbell matriarch stuttered.

Shrugging, Harry stepped into the side room and held the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?" harry said uncertainly.

"Ah! The young Evil Eye Alchemist! It's a pleasure. I've heard many good things about you!" a deep voice said from the other end of the line.

"And who's this?"

"Oh! Forgive me for not introduction myself. I'm Fuhrer King Bradley, the head of this countries military."

"…" was all Harry could say. He was struck speechless.

"Hello?"

"EEP! SIR! YES SIR! HOW CAN I HELP YOU SIR?" Harry belted out.

"None of that! I've called because I've discovered that you are far more special than I first realized when we gave you that silver watch and title."

"Erm…what do you mean…sir?" harry asked.

"Why the fact that you're a wizard!" the Fuhrer chortled.

"Wha…you mean that prank that one of the Brass played sir? I assure you that the frozen heavens alchemist is showing that sham the door as we speak!"

"That's the last thing I want you to do! In fact, I want you to go!"

"WHAT? I mean…what? You don't believe this do you? I mean, there's no such thing as magic."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong!"

"Huh?"

"I and my cabinet have known about the magical world since I first took office."

"Are y-y-you telling me magic is real. And if so…what does that have to do with me?"

"Quite simply, I want you act as an…ambassador of sorts."

"An…ambassador?"

"Yes. I had sent an alchemist some decades prior to observe the magical world, but… he was unable to complete his duties."

"Which were?"

"Measuring the readiness of the outside countries without them knowing we were observing them."

"Oh?"

"Yes, he became… to attached to the magical world. In essence, he went native."

"Oh."

"Indeed. If you accept this assignment, we will suspend the yearly assessment for you. Instead, you'll provide me yearly reports on your observation."

"I see."

"Now, only one question remains."

"And that would be?"

"Do you accept. Mind you, I can always have you court-marshaled for disobeying the orders of a superior officer!" Bradley said brightly.

Harry's breath hitched, the Fuhrer had him over a barrel and he knew it. If the Evil Eye Alchemist refused, Harry would be dishonorably discharged from the military, and that would mean saying bye-bye to half of the rank and privilege that allowed the three to move so freely and search for the philosophers stone.

"I guess I have no choice…I accept the assignment…" Harry ground out.

"Good boy! Oh, and tell Toshiro that he's been recalled. Armstrong is almost fully recovered and will be at the Rockbells in a matter of days to relieve the frozen heavens of guard."

CLICK!

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEP!

Harry shot the phone a withering look and hung it up.

As he stepped out of the room, Pinako and Winry were desperately trying to separate Hagrid and Toshiro. All the while, Ed (sans bunny ears, much to Winry's disappointment) and Al watched the verbal fight. The alchemist and the grounds keeper were nose to nose about to start brawling then and there.

"Mr. Hagrid?" Harry said shortly.

"Yes?"

"I've thought about your offer, and I accept." The three eyes boy growled.

Glossary For This and the Last Chapter

Tōshirō Hitsugaya: the Frozen Heavens Alchemist. A master of ice and water based alchemy. He used to be friends and traveling companions with harry Potter and his brothers until the black haired boy used his third eye to steal several of the ice alchemist's techniques that had been in his family for generations. This earned Toshiro's eternal animosity.

Dr. Tim Marcoh: An alchemical researcher who (if rumors are true) discovered a method to synthesize the philosophers stone before he began his tour of duty in the Ishval rebellion. Supposedly his stones amplified an alchemist's powers to a near infinite degree, allowing them to do thing that they never dreamed of, and take a record number of lives as well. He defected in the middle of the war and took his research with him.

Pinako Rockbell: Matriarch of the remaining two members of the Rockbell family. When her son and daughter in law were killed, she took in and raised their daughter like she was her own, instructing the young child in the science of crafting automail.

Winry Rockbell: The Granddaughter of Pinako Rockbell. And the Childhood friend of the Elric Brothers. She works alongside her grandmother to maintain the Elric brothers automail. She harbors secret feeling for Edward, but does her best to hide those feelings from herself and those around her (especially Ed).

Fuhrer King Bradley: the head of the Armestris military and the national government. He was the one who instituted the program to convert the Alchemy program into a tool for war. Many consider him a warmonger, and his overall goal is to conquer the territory surrounding the nation of Armestris until all the surrounding countries are under his rule.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	12. Chapter 10: Magic 101

Chapter 10: Magic 101

**Thanks for the wait. school was beyond hectic, and these past few days were my first chance to do some major writing in months. I just want to say thanks for showing so much patience. I promise now that the major intro stuff is out of the way, we'll be getting to the meat of the story.**

**Now on with the fic!**

**Oh, and I don't own any of this. All of the elements of this story are owned by their individual creators.**

Once you reach strike three, you will find out what it feels like to have your beard turned to stone, and have all of its hairs yanked out one by one- Harry

Harry could only gape stupidly as the sensation of nearly having his belly button pulled off (thanks to that 'port key' thingy) faded and he got a look at the world around him.

The city of London was massive, bigger than Central, East, or any other large metropolis Harryhad ever seen before. He could only look in wonder at the massive buildings the surrounded him. A giant palace that made the manor the Fuhrer resided in look, well, like a rundown shack! And the humongous clock tower that Hagrid called 'Big Ben' looked larger than any monument they had ever seen before. Heck, it looked bigger than some mountains.

As Hagrid led the dazed boy forward, the memories of parting with his brothers only a few short minutes before were still fresh in his mind…

* * *

_"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR GOING?" Ed cackled furiously as he shut the door to the side room behind them._

_"Yeah! You aren't saying you believe in this nonsense do you?" Al chimed in._

_"No…I don't but I don't have much choice in the matter!" Harry shot back._

_That was the statement that made Ed pause; "What do you mean?"_

_"What I mean is that if I don't do this, I'm facing a court-marshal! That guy on the phone was the Fuhrer himself! Do either of you think I would go through with this farce otherwise! I don't know how some charlatan hoodwinked Bradley, but I'm not falling for any of this tripe! I'll be back in a few months and everything will be back to normal!" Harry promised._

_"I'll hold you to that!" Al said softly._

_Little did Harry realize how much he would come to eat those words._

* * *

As the duo stepped through the unassuming pub's front door, Harry noticed several things off about the world. Mainly that no one even glanced at the shabby building in front of them. In fact, their eyes just seemed to slide around it. Harry made a note to ask about that later.

With barely a creak of the ancient wood, the door to the pub opened. Almost as one, every eye turned toward the newcomers. Harry knew this was some sort of unwritten tradition in places like this, size the newcomers up and see if they have the huevos to fit it. Everyone went back to their drinks, it looked like they passed.

As the two walked in, the barkeep gave Hagrid a respectful nod.

"Welcome back 'agrid, can I pour you a pint of the usual?"

"Nah Tom, I got business in the alley. Gotta take a student to get 'is supplies!"

"Oh? And who who's the lucky boy…oh lord! It's Harry Potter" the bartender yelped.

Once more, every eye in the room turned toward the two. Only this time it was shock that fueled their reaction. Within seconds, the three eyed boy found himself inundated by a throng of people who were clamoring to shake his hand, pat him on the back, or just initiate any form of contact they could.

"Mr. Potter! Can I get an interview?"

"Mr. Potter! Where have you been all this time? What about the reports that you died during the attack on your parents?"

"Harry! Harry! Please! Can I just shake your hand?"

Harry desperately tried to shove his way through, but for every foot of progress he made, the crowd yanked him back another two.

"BACK OFF YEH **VULTURES**! LET THE POOR BOY THROUGH! DO ALL YEH HEAR ME?"Hagrid bellowed as he violently pushed his way through, sheltering Harry within the tent like expanse of his overcoat.

Finally, they stumbled out the back into the small garden behind the pub.

BANG!

The giant slammed the door shut and held it closed with one huge hand. He looked at Harry's dazed and confused expression with worry and concern.

"'aryy, you a' right?" Hagrid asked tentatively.

Silence.

"'arry?"

"Am I all right? AM I ALL RIGHT! OF COURSE I'M NOT ALL RIGHT!" the boy raged.

Hagrid flinched.

"What the Hell was that? Why did those people suddenly turn into an unruly mob at just the sight of me? It was like the latest pop star just walked into the room! And why in the name of all that's holy and pious did those nutjobs keep calling me **HARRY, BLOODY, POTTER**?" the three eyed boy ranted at the top of his lungs.

Hagrid could only stare in stupefied shock as the black haired boy's rant wound down and he glared at the larger adult with non disguised irritation.

"Well? I'm waiting for an explanation?" the alchemist hissed angrily.

"What do yeh mean 'why did they call yeh Harry Potter?' That's yer name!"

Harry blinked, his fury wound down as his expression softened, "So My real last name is Potter I never knew. The basket that I was left in didn't have any form of identification."

"But how can tha' be? The letter Dumbledore left with Trisha and Holenheim Elric tol' them everything."

"Well, if they knew they never said anything."

"Why not?"

"Maybe they meant to tell me when I was older. But stuff happened, and they never got the chance." The dark haired boy snorted wryly.

"What do yeh mean?"

"That's my business. Now can we move on to another topic? Like why those people treated me like the Buddha, Jesus, and Zeus all rolled into one, with a little dash of Elvis thrown in for flavor?"

"Erm… I'm not th' best person to tell yeh." Hagrid winced.

"Well then find someone to tell me or I'll walk away! I got by just as well for the past ten years without magic. So start talking or I start walking."

_"Criminy! This isn't how Dumbledore said it would be at all. The boy wasn't supposed to act like this! He's not supposed to ask any questions!"_ the large man thought frantically.

"Well, about ten 'ears ago…a dark wizard wit' more power than yeh can shake a stick at was runnin' around terrorizin' all o' England. No one could stop him and 'is followers. And one night, something totally unexpected happened. He died."

"Who killed him?" harry asked.

"Yeh did! Somethin' about you stumped that man mighty fierce. It stumped him so bad that it killed him!" Hagrid boomed.

"And what was this 'all powerful' wizard's name."

"Yehsee, that's the thing. He frightened people so much, that even today, ten years after his defeat, people are still afraid to speak 'is name. He called himself…**Voldemort**."

Harry felt a cold shiver run down his spine. And the three eyed boy swore for the rest of his days that at that moment he spotted a haze of breath escape his mouth, as if the temperature in the garden had dropped by at least forty degrees, despite the sweltering July heat.

Suddenly, a memory roared to the surface of Harry's mind…a green flash of light and a mad, high pitched laugh, that quickly turned into a howl of pain, then silence.

"Now are we finished with this version of 'This is Your Life', because I want to get this over with?" Harry grumbled irritably.

Hagrid got to his feet and trudged to the back wall of the garden. He examined the brick wall closely, mumbling all the while; "Wha was that again? Two up and three across or three up or two across…"

Eventually, the groundkeeper got it right and tapped the key brick with his lurid pink umbrella.

Much to Harries shock, the bricks suddenly moved with a life of their own and began to wiggle out order. Slowly, the gap expanded until a large archway stood where there was a solid wall.

Beyond the archway was a place unlike anything Harry had ever seen before. All of the people wore multi colored robes in various shades. And the topics of conversation made Harry's head spin.

"Did ye head about the Belfast Brawlers new seeker? Douglas Fairlane?" One woman outside a shop whispered.

"Nah, What about him?" her shopping partner asked eagerly.

"They say the man got caught dowin' some kind o' stamina potion before the last game. The Quidditch league's suspended him for the rest o' the season!"

"Pufflekrump shells for sale! Fresh Pufflekrump Shells for sale! Only five for a sickle!" A vendor yelled.

As Harry walked by, he spied a trio of boys a few years younger than him ogling what appeared to be a broom on display in the shop window.

"Ok, firs' things firs', if we're gonna buy you yer school supplies, we're gonna need some money!"

"But I already have a few hundred Sens! What do I need more money for?" Harry snorted as he pulled out his money pouch and poured a handful of the silver embossed gold coins into his palm.

"Tha's all well and good where you come from, but you'll need wizardin' money to get by!"

"Wizarding money?" Harry snorted skeptically.

"Yeah! Galleons, sickles and knuts!" Hagrid nodded as he pulled out his own pouch and showed Harrya handful of gold, silver, and bronze coins embossed with the phrase 'in veneficus nos fides' (in magic we trust).

Harry scrutinized the coins as they walked into the bank. Harry vaguely heard Hagid instruct the teller that they needed to get into the Potter trust Vault, and vault "you know where" to get the "you know what"

Harry was brought out of his stupor when the large man put his hand on the boy's shoulder and guided him past the teller's station and into the back area. The three eyed boy did a double take when he spied the dumpy looking, pale skinned, hook nosed creature behind the counter.

"What are…" Harry began.

"Goblins! But watch what yehsay around 'em. They're a mighty proud people with some powerful magic's to back 'em up! And yeh don't wanna be on the receivin' end o' any of it! So watch yer tongue! And another matter, keep this vault key on yeh at all times. Yeh never know when yeh might be needin' some money. " Hagrid hissed as he put a small bronze key in the boys pocket as the two boarded the mine cart, which sped off a few seconds later.

The ride was as quick as it was wild. The cart made several hairpin turns at speeds that made Harry think he left his spleen back in the lobby. Finally, an indecipherable amount of time later, the cart pulled up in from of a nondescript vault.

"Stay in the cart!" Hagrid said shortly.

Knowing that it would be in his best interest to do as the man said, Harry watched as the large man and the Goblin both pulled a lever on either side of the vault. The giant steel door opened with a rumble that shook the cavern. The groundskeeper trudged inside and picked up what looked like a grubby package wrapped in plainbrown paper. The man put it in his pocket and walked out the door as the Goblin took out a small brass key and inserted into a lock underneaththe lever he just pulled. The door then shut with a resounding boom.

As the Giant settled and the cart sped off into the maze of caverns and tunnels, the three eyed boy contemplated recent events.

_"There was a time when I could say the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me was when Ed slipped me those sleeping pills and died my hair pink. I want that time baaaaaaaaack! **Holy Mother of madness!****"**_

The tracks suddenly took a sharp dip, the likes of which was only found in the most extreme of amusement park rides. This downward plunge went on for what seemed like hours until the cart came to an abrupt and screeching halt.

"Ouuuggg! Stop the world! I wanna get off!" Hagrid moaned as he put his head between his legs and breathed deeply. Harry staggered out of the cart and fell to his knees, kissing the ground and knowing he would never take the dirt beneat his feet for granted again.

"Sweet, sweet earth! Let me never forsake you again!" the middle brother whimpered.

Griphook trundled out of the mine cart and shot the young boy a weird look, "Should I leave you and the soil to get better acquainted, or would you like to withdraw money from your vault?" the gobbling snorted dryly.

Rolling his eyes, Harry got to his feet, "And how do I do that? I saw you and Hagrid pull the lever to open that other vault, but how do I get into mine?"

"Just put that key into the lock and turn." The hook nosed creature said as if he was speaking to a small child.

Harry shrugged and palmed the key that he had been given minutes earlier.

"Just a moment!" the Goblin said as he snatched the small metallic ornament and examined it.

Without another word, the banker turned on his heels and marched away from Harry, stomping off toward the cart. Harryblinked as the small creature held a heated conversation with the boy's erstwhile traveling companion. Finally, after jabbing his finger under the over-sized man's nose, Hagrid reluctantly handed over another gold key.

"It would seem that there was a slight mix up in which key you were given. That was a copy key meant only for friends of the family. It would only give you access to a single vault of the creators choice. Rest assured, I will personally determine who illegally created this key and attempted to pass it off to you." Griphook said coolly.

Taking a deep breath, Harry nodded and quickly opened the vault. His eyes bulged as he took in the sight of a mountainous pile of gold that reached from wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Mountains of Galleons, heaps of Sickles, pile after pile of Knuts, chest after chest of precious jewels.

"And to think that this is only a trust vault!"the middle Elric drooled.

Griphook wordlessly handed Harrya medium sized sack which the boy filled with coins and other assorted gems.

Minutes later, Harry stepped dazedly out of the vault, Hargid watched warily as the boy took his seat, "'arry are yeh all right?"

Silence.

"'arry?"

YANK!

"ACK!"

The large man yelped as Harry lashed out and grabbed the larger man's beard, forcefully pulling him down to eye level. Just from looking into the boy's eyes, the groundskeeper knew that any attempts at influencing the boy would be akin to poking a Hippogriffin the eye with a sharp stick, being bad for your health as well as being likely to considerably shorten your lifespan.

"This is your first warning. I do not, repeat, do not, like being fucked with. Consider this strike one. Once you reach strike three, you will find out what it feels like to have your beard turned to stone, and have all of its hairs yanked out one by one, Do we have an understanding?"

Harry pulled on the over sized man's beard, forcing him to nod his head.

"Good." Harry snorted, releasing him.

"Why are yeh actin' like this?" Hagrid growled as he massaged his abused chin.

"Product of my environment. All I had to rely on was my brothers and myself. So I had to get tough…or the world would have eaten me alive." Harry replied blandly.

"What about Trisha and Hohenheim have to say about this?"

"Oh, not much since the latter disappeared without a trace five years after I was dropped on their doorstep, never to be seen again. And as for the former, she died a year after that." the middle Elric deadpanned.

"You mean yeh've been alone all this time?"

"Alone? Hardly. I've had my brothers to look out for me. We keep each other grounded. Add in the loving care we get from the Rockbell's whenever we have the time to drop by, and it's not so bad."

Hagrid's expression was misty, Yehshouldn't a had the live on yer own like tha'. I'll talk to Dumbledore and he'll…"

"No!" Harry said sharply.

"Wha?" Hagrid blinked.

"Don't interfere. My brothers and I have gotten along fine for the past several years. And someone else sticking their noses into it would only make things all the more difficult."

"But don't yeh wan' a family to take care of yeh?"

"Don't need one. My brothers and the Rockbells are all the family I need."

"Last stop. Everybody off." Griphook said shortly.

* * *

Minutes later, Harry was standing outside of a dingy looking shop with the name "Ollivander_'s: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." _carved in faded and peeling gold letters over the door. Hagrid had begged off, claiming he had to go back to the bar for a pick me up after the cart ride.

Steeling himself, the dark haired boy pushed his way into the dingy shop. Harry winced as he stepped over the threshold. The room pulsed with a palpable aura of power. Hesitantly, the Evil Eye Alchemist opened his third eye, only to shut it violently, the boxes that lined the walls glowed blindingly, enough to leave Harry's head swimming and his third eye watering.

"A pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Potter. I must say I hoped that the rumors of your death were an exaggeration." A voice behind his said.

The three eyed boy barely stopped himself from transmuting one of his arms into a short sword, a tool that would have been perfect to impale the silver eyed man who had managed to sneak up on him. A feat not many could attest to.

"Please! Don't do that! You won't like the result of startling me." Harry growled.

"My apologies. I am but a humble wand maker. One who remembers every one sold in this shop." The silver haired man murmured as he pulled out a tape measure and began to gauge the space between Harries shoulder blades, his head size, and the distance between his knees.

"What is you wand hand?" the shop owner asked.

"Erm, I'm ambidextrous…" Harry said uneasily as he swatted away the tape measure that was busying itself by gauging the distance between his nostrils.

Nodding, Ovilander started pulling boxes off the shelves.

"Try this: Eleven inches, made of willow with a core of Dragon Heartstring. You should know that no two of my wands are alike. And it is proven that the wand chooses the wielder." The silver eyed man said.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry gave the wand a flick.

BLAAAAT!

The wand made a sound akin to a man breaking wind and spewed a cloud of noxious gas.

"Ugh! A wrong combination for certain! One that's ill suited for you…" The wandmaker gagged as he opened the door and fanned the fumes out of his shop.

"How about this…Yew and unicorn tail hair, thirteen and a quarter inches, well suited for transfiguration. Slightly bendy." The elderly man murmured moments later as he pulled another wand out of the stacks.

Rolling his eyes, Harrytook the wand and tentatively gaveit a wave.

BANG!

CRACK!

BA-BA-BOOM!

That wand made a sound like a gunshot, and caused the shelves containing the other wands in the show room to vanish dumping their cargo onto the floor.

Gingerly, Harry placed the wand on the table and stepped away from it.

"I'd say that's a wrong choice as well…" the boy snorted as the craftsman boxed the failed wand.

"How about this, eleven inches, made of holly, with a core of a tail feather from a particularly fine male phoenix."

That wand produced better results, a weak stream of red and gold spark. Better, but still not perfect.

"Hmmm…that wand is somewhat suitable, but not quite right. For cases like this, a more exotic combination is called for."

Ollivander gingerly picked up the wand that was placed onto the cushion in the shop window.

"This wand's components came to me three years ago from a far off land. It's fourteen and one half inches, the outer shell is made from the femur of a particularly violent chimera, and the core a hair from a woman who claimed to be a female homunculus. This is a sort of jack of all trades wand. Good for all forms of magic, but specialized in none."

Nervously, Harry fingered the wand. The moment it entered his hand a warm glow spread through his body. The three eyed boy was engulfed in a blinding white light. As the light faded, Harry gaped incredulously at the newly claimed wand in his hand.

"What. Was. That?" the three eyed boy gasped.

"That, my dear boy, was a very rare event in the making. A wand that is apparently perfectly suited for its owner. I only ask that you use it well. A wand can be used for good or for evil. After all, the Phoenix core wand in Voldermort's wand was best suited for light magic. And he used that wand to wreak havoc for decades, and give you that scar." The silver eyed man said, gesturing to the cut on Harry's forehead.

"Hn…how much for the wand." Harry scowled tonelessly.

"For now, nothing. All I ask is that you make good use of it."

_"Humph! 'Make good use of it he says. I'll make good use until I prove that this magic stuff is nothing but one big sham."_ Harry thought as he trudged out of the shop.

"I see from that expression on your face that you still have yet to learn that there is more to heaven and earth than dreamt of in your philosophy…Mr. Potter!" the wand maker said smoothly.

Harry stiffened and whirled on the man, "What did you say?"

"I merely said that there is more to this world than you know. Keep an open mind!" the soft spoken man said brightly.

"Yeah…sure…" Harry muttered uneasily as he walked out the door.

* * *

The moment the door closed, Mr. Ollivander's form was blurred and warped by colored lights that buzzed around him like fireflies. Once the flashes faded, the person sitting there was none other than Ichihara Yūko…in all her exotic glory.

"I hope that this satisfied you brother dear!" the sorceress cooed as she pulled a Japanese folding fan out of her voluminous sleeve. And with a flick of her wrist, the enchanted item called upon a cool breeze that blew through the shop and chased out the oppressive summer heat.

"Indeed sister of mine. Mr. Potter's future can go down many paths. By nudging him along the correct one, we can ensure that this Hitsuzen of yours is accomplished." The real wand making member of the Ichihara family said as he stepped out from the back room.

THOCK!

Ollivander winced as his younger sister bopped him on the head with her fan.

"Foolish…foolish _aniki_, for all your years,you still have yet to realize that there is no influencing hitsuzen. All events will proceed down their prescribed paths. Just as it was fate that Kizuato kun and I met, and it is fate that Voldermort will someday return."

"So it's true? The dark lord is still among the living?"

"If you can call being reduced to the form of a shade living, then yes."

"Hmmm. Then it appears that I should perhaps close shop for a while. I have the sudden urge to travel abroad."

"A wise choice, brother dear. As for myself, I will take this phoenix feather wand that rejected Kizuato kun. The last thing we need is for that _baka hebi_ to get his scaly hands on the power of a pair of brother wands."

"Take it with my blessing. Maybe you might find some worthy soul that is better suited for it."

"Indeed. I already have someone in mind. I think I'll go visit an old friend. Maru, Moro…come. We have places to be and things to do!"

"Yes'm!" Maru chirped.

"Yes'm!" Moro giggled.

* * *

The next two stops went off without a hitch. Harry bought the basic set of potion ingredients from the Apothecary, and purchased his set of first year text books from a book store called Flourish & Blotts…plus a few additional texts such as a self updating edition of Hogwarts a History, and The Latest Hexes, Enchantments, and Bewitchments: Ways to Befuddle Enemies and Boggle Minds, also The Ins and Outs of Wizarding Politics. After all rule number one in battle is 'know thy enemy'.

A short while later, Harry made his way across the alley when he noticed the most beautiful singing voice he had ever heard crooning from a nearby shop. The songbird's voice was soft and smooth. It was lovelier than anything Harry had ever heard in his life.

_Full moon sways  
Gently in the night of one fine day  
On my way  
Looking for a moment with my dear_

_I was sure  
'Couldn't let myself to go  
Even though I feel  
The end_

_Oh my fair...  
Floating like a bird that's taken wing_

_Full moon sways  
Gently in the night of one fine day  
On my way  
Looking for a moment with my dear_

_Full moon waves  
Slowly on the surface of the lake  
You are there  
Smiling in my arms for all those years_

_What a fool!  
I don't know about tomorrow  
What it's like to be  
Ah-ah-ahhhhh!_

_I was sure  
'Couldn't let myself to go  
Even though I feel  
The end_

_Oh my fair...  
Floating like a bird that's taken wing  
You are there  
Smiling in my arms for all those years_

_What a fool!  
I don't know about tomorrow  
What it's like to be  
Ah-ah-ahhhhh!_

_I was sure  
'Couldn't let myself to go  
Even though I feel  
The end_

_Full moon sways  
Gently in the night of one fine day  
You are there  
Smiling in my arms for all those years_

Entranced by voice, Harry his made his way to the storefront. To his shock, the song he heard came from the throat of a small snake. She was about three inches long, and her scales were a striking shade of sapphire. The most surprising of all were the tiny pair of downy wings growing from her sides.

Feeling slightly foolish, Harry asked softly _"What your name little one?"_

To Harry's surprise, the snake answered back, _"Azulara! Who are you?"_

_"I'm Harry Elric Potter. That was a beautiful song. Where did you learn it?"_

_"I made it up myself! Do you like it?"_

"My word! I never thought that I would meet a parslemouth here of all places!" A voice behind Harry exclaimed.

Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw that the man was the shop owner. A portly man with a few wisps of grey hair growing from his head.

"Crazy people say what now?" Harry blinked

Rolling his eyes, the shop owner repeated testily "Why a Parselmouth! A person with the rare ability to talk to snakes."

"You're kidding."

"No. Do you think that that infant Quetzalcoatl was speaking English? No, to me you were hissing and sputtering just like that serpent beside you!"

"Oh."

"Yes, oh! You know, I was planning on breedin' that little un' when she was old enough. I was hoping to start a Quetzalcoatl mail service. It would have been bigger than owl post! But plans change. I think you might provide a better home and any breeding farm I could ever find!"

"Me?"

"No, the invisible person behind you! Of course I mean you. I can tell you can take good care of her."

"Erm thanks. I'm very flattered, but…"

_"Please, I know that this is asking quite a bit of you Master Harry, but I can feel the connection between us. Can you please take me with you?"_ the tiny snake pleaded.

"Don't think that I'm ungrateful for this, 'cause I am...but why are you doing this? If what you say is true, this is a pretty rare animal. Why are you selling it to me like this?" the three eyed boy asked.

"Well...to be frank, my idea for a Quetzalcoatl mail service fell through. I wasn't able to find anyone who owned a male serpent who was willling to ley me buy one to stud. And the whole plan hinged on breeding a bunch of the things to use as mail carriers. So, since the whole plan fell through I need to find to find this little one a good home. And you look like just the person to do that." the shop owner answered.

Harry sighed, "How much?"

"Heh, for you, I'm willing to givea pretty hefty discount. Normally a rare creature goes for a minimum of thirty Galleons. But for you,half price: Fifteen Galleons."

"Sold." Harry grunted.

And so, a bond between Familiar and master was born. One that would save the lives of Harry and those close to him numerous times in the coming years.

* * *

Harry stroked his new pet softly. He could feel her purring contentedly as she curled around his wrist underneathhis sweater. The final stop on the school supply shopping spree was a small shop witha sign nailed above the front door that proclaimed it as _'Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions'._

Sighing dejectedly, the three eyed boy walked into the shop.

"Here for some Hogwarts robes dear?" the portly witch asked kindly.

Harry nodded absently allowing the shop proprietor to lead him to the back.

"We'll have the lot ready for you in a jiffy. We're already halfway through another fitting."

Nodding silently, Harry stepped up to the stool and looked at the pale faced, blond haired boy who was being fitted by one of the shop clerks.

"Hello, are you going to Hogwarts too?" the pale child asked.

"Would I be standing here getting fitted out for Hogwarts robes if I wasn't? Harry replied sarcastically.

Harry tuned the ferret like boy out as he babbled about forcing his father to buy him a broom and help him smuggle it in.

"What's yourbroom model?" the boy asked. That gavethe middle Elric pause.

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? Quidditch! The sport of kings!"

"Hn."

"I mean, only ignorant Muggleborns don't know about our world. Trash, the lot of them!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Take a look at that man! He's a prime example!" the blond sneered, gesturing to Hagrid who was making his way out of the archway in the back of the Leaky cauldron.

"You don't say?" Harry growled.

"He's some sort of servant. A savage according to my father. He lives on the school grounds in some sort of shed. And every now and then, he gets drunk and tries magic. The idiot botches the simplest spell and sets fire to his bed. Like I said; trash!" the ferrety boy sniffed.

"Forgive me if I don't share your point of view." Harry growled as he subtly opened his third eye.

"And why is that?" the Malfoy heir scowled as he turned to Harry. His gaze was transfixed by Harry's third eye. The moment he looked into the third optic, his mind was clouded and heard a soothing voice whisper in to him _"You will now be silent for the rest of this fitting. When you are finished, you will walk out and forget you ever saw the black haired boy who was getting fitted beside you!"_

Draco nodded and didn't even notice that his movements made the seamstress stick him with a pin.

The next half an hour was the most peaceful Harry had experienced since he stepped foot into this strange new land

* * *

The next month passed far too quickly for Harry's taste. But that didn't mean that there weren't memorable moments, take for example…

* * *

"Come out Harry! We wanna see the latest in wizard wear!" Winry whined to the black haired boy, who had locked himself in the bathroom the moment he put on his new school uniform.

"Never in a million years! I look totally ridiculous!" the three eyed boy barked back.

"Yeah, of course you do. Why do you think we're making you do this?" Ed grinned smugly.

"In that case, I'm never coming out!" the middle brother growled.

"Ed, I think that we're going to need you for this one." Al nodded.

"All right, on the count of three, I'm coming in! One." the oldest brother grinned.

"Do it and die!" Harry scowled.

"Two."

"I mean it! Heads will roll if you force that door open!"

"Three!"

_ZAAAAAAKK!_

The door dissolved into a cloud of ash. Ed and Winry rushed through the door frame. Al heard the sound of battle that ensued.

"LEGGO!"

"AW! But you look so cute!"

"BWA-HA-HA-HA!"

"That's it Ed, time to die!"

THWACK!

"OW!"

"Sic her Azulara!"

"HISSSS! _(For master Harry!)"_

"EEEK!"

* * *

And let's not forget some other memorable instances.

* * *

Harry wasn't sure how, but a conversation that started with what they would do after their bodies back to normal turned to their love lives, or lack thereof in some cases.

"We gotta get you a girl." Ed said matter of factly.

"Don't you think that it's a little early for that? I'm only eleven. At least wait until I hit puberty before you try fixing me up with someone." Harry snorted dryly.

"As long as we find you the right girl, age doesn't matter!" Al piped up

"So who do you have in mind?" the oldest brother asked curiously.

"Erm, how about that Rose girl?" Al suggested.

"The one that probably hates our guts?" Ed shot down.

"Oh right. How about Winry?"

**"What about Winry?" **Ed snarled demonically, his yellow eyes glowing with barely repressed wrath.

"Oh Right! She's off the market!" Al squeaked.

"Erm…I got it! Lt. Hawkeye!"

"The one that a decade and a half older than harry? And let's not forget that she's not a pedophile…"

"Oh right. Good point. But I don't think Harry would mind that much." Ed said slyly.

"And why's that?"

Harry blanched as he felt his face heat up. The poor boy was blushing like a tomato.

"O-ho! Looks like someone has a school boy crush! We finally found the untouchable one's weakness!" Ed crowed.

_"Oh, criminy! This can't be happening."_ Harry thought dismally.

"Harry like Hawkeye! Harry likes Hawkeye!" the two brothers chorused.

"How about a little target practice on my personal the firing range, big boy? You promise not to treat me too rough? I'll be the target, and you can be the bullet. Fire at will!" Ed mocked, imitating the sharpshooter.

"Of course Lt.! I promise to give you my undivided attention!" the youngest brother cracked, imitating the middle brother.

POW!

The glass Harry had been drinking from bounced off Ed's head, knocking the older boy on his rear.

"DIE!" Harry roared, diving on the pair, fully intent on beating them into a bloody smear.

* * *

Of course, Harry didn't spend all his time goofing off.

* * *

The three eyed boy carefully transmuted the tip of his metallic finger into a scalpel. He looked at the wand (that he had lifted from Ovilander's shop when the old man wasn't looking) like one would when facing down a poisonous reptile.

_"I just make an incision down the middle, and I'm probably going to find some kind of hi-tech equipment. How else would you explain how this thing works? It's probably just a fancy flash light. Only one way to find out…"_ Harry thought.

With utmost care, the alchemist gently inserted the scalpel into the wand and made a quick incision down the middle.

"Ok, let's see what we have…here?" Ok, of all the things I was expecting, this was at the bottom of my list." The middle brother blinked.

It was made of wood. Elm if the middle Elric's nose was correct. Gingerly, Harry plucked the silvery object with a pair of tweezers.

"A hair. There's nothing in this wand but a hair! Now I'm more confused than ever!" the last potter muttered.

* * *

Finally, the month was up. Harry looked through the various personal items and clothes that he had packed. The three eyed boy knew it was busy work. But at the moment, he didn't care. He was about to leave the one constant he had throughout his entire toilsome life: His brothers.

It was the hardest thing he ever had to do. _"Figuring out was a cake walk compared to this."_ The middle brother though.

Finally bowing to the inevitable, the boy shut the lid of his trunk and trudged out of the room, looking like a condemned killer going to death row. Ed's expression was grave, he sat at the counter of the kitchenette, nursing a cup of coffee, glaring at the brown liquid at if it was the cause of this.

"Big Brother Harry'll be back in a few months." Al piped up.

"I know. But this whole situation is so screwy!"

"You're not the only one that thinks that Ed…" Harry grunted.

"So you're doing this?" Winry asked sadly.

"Have to. The Fuhrer has me by the nuts. Either I go through with this madness or I get court marshaled."

BANG!

Ed pounded his fist into the counter hard enough to make the coffee cup jump.

"Promise me one thing Harry, that if things get hairy, and you get in over your head, you will get out of there. I want you back in one piece." Ed said fiercely.

"Like you even have to ask?" Harry chuckled, embracing his older sibling.

"Stay safe. I want you back just as much as Ed does" Al whispered softly.

Nodding, Harry rubbed his little brother's head affectionately.

"I'm gonna send all of you owls as often as I can. I'll have to borrow someone else's until Azulara's big enough to take care of my mail." The middle Elric said.

"I'll hold you to that! Stay safe little bro." Winry chuckled softly, kissing him on the cheek. She slipped a long package into his pocket.

"Don't open it until later. I guarantee you'll love it." Winry smiled warmly.

"It's time." Pinako said sadly.

Fighting back tears, Harry gripped the handle of the bronze cup the moment the clock struck noon.

"Goodbye." The middle brother whispered as he was whisked away.

* * *

THUD!

"ACK! **Scheisse! Mutterficker!"** Harry cursed in his native German as he was dropped unceremoniously onto the station with his heavy trunk on top of him.

Although the parents present in platform nine and three quarters had no idea what the boy was saying, for the most part, they knew enough to cover the ears of their children. Mothers can detect a curse from a hundred yards. They're funny like that.

As soon as the three eyes boy rose to his feet, he was transfixed by the sight of the station around him. The entire platform was engulfed in a sort of happy chaos. Hundreds of people were milling around, finding old friends, dragging their luggage onto the train cars, or giving their departing loved ones their final goodbyes.

"Impressed Potter?" A familiar voice drawled.

Whirling around, Harry was shocked to see the last person he ever expected to find there: Colonel Mustang, dressed in slacks and a linen shirt, looking just like everyone around him.

"SIR!" Harry saluted crisply.

"At ease soldier. Not in front of civilians." Mustang hissed.

Wincing, Harry relaxed.

"Now, I have a few last minute pieces of advice for you, most are directly from the Fuhrer and his magic research department."

"A 'magic research department? You have got to be kidding me!" Harry gaped.

"No joke kid. I've seen it for myself. They do some pretty impressive stuff. But enough of that, let's get down to business. The first piece of advice comes straight from the top. Whatever you do, do not, I repeat, do not mix alchemy and magic. The results can be… messy to say the least."

"Messy?" Harry blinked.

"Yes, the last alchemist who tried to mix the two energies got turned into some kind of creature that looked to be a cross between a daschund, a duck with a little trombone thrown in for flavor. And we still haven't been able to change him back."

Harry winced, "Got it, mixing magic and Alchemy is a no-no. What else?"

"Second. Don't let anyone know about the full extent of your alchemy skills. There's a reason why we typically don't let State Alchemists venture beyond the countries boarders. Alchemy is a destructive science, even when a person knows how to use it. Imagine what would happen if a bunch of war mongers got their hand on that info without any idea of what they were getting into."

"Ugh…I don't even want to think about it. More than likely they'd do something stupid and end up cracking the planet in half!" Harry winced.

"Exactly. Now this last piece of info comes straight from me: Stay safe, and watch your back." Mustang nodded.

"Yes Sir!" the evil eye alchemist uttered crisply.

Mustang silently watched his subordinate heft his trunk onto his shoulders, and trudging onto the train.

"Stay safe Evil Eye. Stay safe." The colonel murmured.

* * *

Harry was oblivious to the incredulous looks he was receiving as he casually strolled down the aisle between the train compartments with his massive luggage resting easily on his shoulder. Finally after several minutes of searching, the state alchemist located the last empty compartment in the entire train. Which was, all things considered, a stroke of luck on his part.

Harry hefted his luggage into the overhead rack and settled in and pulled the parcel out of his overcoat pocket. The present was a longish package wrapped in plain brown paper.

Shrugging, the middle brother ripped the wrapping away and opened it. Much to his shock, it was something Harrywasn't sure that he would ever see again.

His flute.

The instrument was plainlooking, the only outstanding decoration being a small Chinese dragon curling around the length. Aunty Trisha had given it to him less than two years after he had arrived on her doorstep. The not yet three eyed boy proved to be somewhat of a prodigy with wind instruments. Although not as good as some composers, he was proficient enough to coax beautiful music out of instruments of the woodwind family.

Unfortunately, his favorite flute had been lost when Ed insisted that burning their house down to sever ties with their pastwas the proper solution. The eldest brother refused to allow his younger siblings any chance to get any of their personal possession. And the flute went up in flames, never to be seen again.

That was one thing the middle brother had never forgiven his older sibling for.

Harry didn't know how his blond childhood friend managed to recreate his precious flute, but it was one gift that he would always cherish.

Tentatively putting the flute to his lips, he let out a measured burst of breath and blew a precision burst. The note that followed was picture perfect. Azulara poked out of his sleeve and cocked her head to the side.

_"Master? Was that you.?"_

"Yes. I was just playing a bit. I haven't held a flute in years, I pretty rusty." Harry chuckled mirthlessly.

_"Well, you know what they say, the only way you rid oneself of rust is to shake it away. Do you want my help with that master?"_

"I think I'd like that. Do you know 'go the distance'? I hear it's become quite popular recently."

_"Yes, I know it well enough. Shall we play?"_

"Yes, let's."

With that, Harry put the flute to his lips and began to play, thankfully, Azulara knew it very well. The serpent's silken voice made a perfect accompaniment to the delicate tones of the flute. So Harry had shaken off the cobwebs, and the duet was playing beautifully.

_I have often dreamed  
Of a far off place  
Where a hero's welcome  
Would be waiting for me  
Where the crowds will cheer  
When they see my face  
And a voice keeps saying  
This is where I'm meant to be_

Neither of the players noticed that sometime during the first verse, they had attracted an audience, the compartment door opened and a trio of onlookers listened, entranced by the melody, and the serpent that was hissing in time with the piece of music..

_I'll be there someday  
I can go the distance  
I will find my way  
If I can be strong  
I know ev'ry mile  
Will be worth my while  
When I go the distance  
I'll be right where I belong_

_Down an unknown road  
To embrace my fate  
Though the road may wander  
It will lead me to you  
And a thousand years  
Would be worth the wait  
It may take a lifetime  
But somehow I'll see it through_

_And I won't look back  
I can go the distance  
And I'll stay on track  
No I won't accept defeat  
It's an uphill slope  
But I won't lose hope  
Till I go the distance  
And my journey is complete_

_But to look beyond the glory is the hardest part  
For a hero's strength is measured by his heart_

_Like a shooting star  
I can go the distance  
I will search the world  
I will face its harms  
I don't care how far  
I can go the distance  
Till I find my hero's welcome  
Waiting in your arms..._

_I will search the world  
I will face its harms  
Till I find my hero's welcome  
Waiting in your arms..._

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

The middle Elric's head jerked up as the sound of soft applause reached his ears. Harry realized that he had left the door slightly ajar, and that the strains of the melody could easily be heard outside the compartment. The on lookers were a trio of students. A short pudgy boy who was shifting nervously from one foot to another. A bushy haired brunette who gazed curiously at the flute, its player, the serpent, and back again. The final viewer was a tall lanky redhead.

"Bloody hell! That was amazing!" the freckled boy gaped.

"It sounded like the snake was singing along with the music." The brunette girl murmured.

".,." was the nervous boy's answer.

"That's because she was. And it's not polite for people to listen in without someone's permission, not to mention not introducing themselves." The three eyed boy grunted.

The brunette blushed and suddenly felt the need to examine her shoes. "Sorry, I'm Hermione Granger.

"Ron Weasley."

"A-and I'm Neville Longbottom."

"Nice to meet you, would you three like to come in?"

"Sorry but I can't I'm helping Neville look for his pet toad. It wandered off somewhere, and we need to find it before something happens to him."

"I told them just to let the thing go. Maybe he could get a good pet if the bloody thing stayed lost." Ron snorted.

"I would if I could, but my Uncle Algie gave him to me. He said he'd tan my hid if I deliberately lost him." the chubby boy blushed.

Harry picked up one of his books and flipped to a specific page, "What's the toad's name?"

"T-Trevor."

"Accio Trevor the toad!" Harry incanted, sweeping his wand in a wide arc.

Shrieks and yelps of alarm were heard seconds later as the missing pet drifted lazily down the corridor, croaking mournfully, and settled into his owner's hands.

"Bugger me! That bloody unbelievable!" Ron gawked.

"Watch your language!" Hermione scolded.

"Well, it is!" the redhead sputtered indignantly.

"H-h-how did you do that? That's an advance fourth year spell" Trevor's owner gaped.

"I find, that magic, like most things in life, is all about will. The more you into a task the easier it is. Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself. I'm Harry Potter Elric."

The three stood there gawking.

"Um…what's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" Harry blinked.

"Did you say Harry Potter?" Ron whispered.

"I don't believe it! I read all about you in 'great wizards of past and present' and 'rise and falls of the great dark lords!" Hermione squeaked as she, Ron, and Neville sat down.

Harry rolled his eyes; "Rest assured, that most if not all of the stuff you read is probably a bunch of bull. I been out of the country all my life and haven't even known I was a wizard until little more than a month ago. This is all new to me. Hell, I don't believe ninety percent of this stuff is possible."

"How can you not believe in magic? It's all around us!" Ron sputtered, shooting Harry and incredulous look.

"I'm a scientist by nature. So unless you can explain it, I don't believe it!" the three eyed boy sniffed.

Cre-ak!

The door jerked open as three more soon to be students stepped into the compartment. One of whom was a familiar blond boy.

"Hello. I heard that Harry Potter is on this train? Who is it?' Draco drawled, looking over the occupant.

He immediately dismissed Ron, Hermione and Neville, focusing on the final passenger.

"I'm Draco Malfoy! And these two are Crabe and Goyle And I can assure you that I'm better company than these twits could ever be." The uninvited boy sniffed at the three earlier passengers.

Ron's face turned an interesting shade of red as he tried to leap from his seat to throttle the sallow skinned boy. The only thing that stopped him was Hermione's grip on the back of his robes.

"And I can tell who you are with a glance. A Weasley. The red hair and fourthrate robes give it away!" the bond sneered.

Draco held his hand out to Harry, "You're new to the wizarding world, so I can assure you that you want to be seen with some types of people more than others! I'll help you tell the wrong types."

"I can tell the wrong types for myself thanks." Harry growled ignoring the proffered hand.

"You act like you have a choice in the matter." the bond snorted, gesturing to his two goons who advanced into the compartment.

Harry rolled his eyes.

WHAM!

"UGACK!"

THWACK!

"AGH!"

BANG!

Faster than the eye could follow, Harry nailed Goyle witha rabbit punch to the throat and followed it up with a snap kick to the chin, dropping the boy where he stood.

Azularaflew out of Harry's sleeve and wrapped around Crabbe's neck Even the dull witted boy recognized the markings and color of a poisonous snake.

"Now I suggest you and you trained chimps leavebefore I decide to rearrange your faces even more than they already are. Oh wait, you look like that naturally!" the middle Elric said contritely.

"You'll pay for this Potter! You've just earned the animosity of the Malfoy family! I'll rain hellfire down on you! Wait and see!" Draco bellowed.

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

BANG!

Harry gleefully slammed the door in the blonde's face.

"So, Anyone up for a game of chess?" Ron said flippantly, as if nothing had occurred.

* * *

The next several hours passed without further incident, that is if you don't count Hermione and Ron almost coming to blows, culminating in the latter storming out in a huff while the former cursed venomously without the bushy haired girl there to admonish him.

Shortly after, harry found himself among the crowd of first years as Hagrid herded them away from the crowd of older students and off the beaten path.

"Why are we moving away from the crowd like this?" Harry whispered to his red-headed quasi friend.

"Oh, some sort of tradition, the first years cross the lake into the underground chamber that leads into the great hall. After that's when we get sorted." The tall boy replied.

Harry stopped in his tracks as the color drained from his face.

"T-t-the lake?" he whimpered.

"Yes, the school lake. My brothers told me the first years cross the lake in some enchanted boats. They've been used since the school was founded a thousand years ago. Percy said they were enchanted by the founders themselves!"

"HELL NO! HELL NO! HELL, **FLIPPIN'** NO! I am not getting into some rickety deathtrap that a thousand, frickin', years old!" Harry barked indignantly, stopping in place.

"Wha's goin' on back there?" Hagrid bellowed as the line of students stopped.

"I changed my mind! I don't wanna go to magic school anymore! I think I'll get back on the train and go home!" the three eyed boy said, his voice hitting a high, nearly hysterical pitch.

"What's the matter, what brought this on?" the groundskeeper said.

"Harry was fine until I mentioned we were crossing the lake?" Ron said weakly.

"Aquaphobia!" Hermione said clinically.

"Aqua-whosit?" the redhead blinked owlishly.

"Aquaphobia, a fear of water!" the brunette replied

"I-I'm not afraid of water! I just don't like it that much!" Harry gulped as he back away, every eye now on him.

"Oh for the love of…so Potter a little afraid of water, there's a simple solution: Stupefy!" Draco sneered.

A spell thudded into Harry's unprotected back and everything went black

* * *

It was half an hour later there the three eyed boy awoke with a splitting headache. The memories of his last few conscious moments thundered into Harry's disjointed awareness.

"When I see that blonde b****** again, they'll never find his body…" Harry muttered angrily.

More than a few of the lagging first years backed away when they experienced the weak spike of killing intent from the now awake Elric brother.

"It's good to have you among the living Mr. Potter!" A voice said dryly.

Harrylooked up and spied a severe looking woman with her long graying brown hair tied into a tight bun.

"It's not like I had much choice in the matter since someone hit me from behind. And I'd like to on the record by saying: that if I catch the ferret that did that, he won't like what happens.

"Indeed! If you will follow me, the 'sorting song' is nearly over and the students will be shuffled into their proper houses in a matter of minutes?" the professor said as she stepped up a flight of stairs. Harry scrambled to his feet after her.

* * *

"So, what'd I miss?" Harry asked as he took his place in the crowd next to Ron.

"Not much, Hagrid chewed Malfoy out something awful after he stunned you. Then we sailed across the lake and ended up here." The redhead shrugged.

"Oh."

"Excuse me, but are you Harry Elric?"

"Yes, what of… what in the name of alchemy are you doing here?" Harry gawked.

WHAM!

A fist slammed into his face and sent him flying out into the hall.

* * *

A few minutes earlier

"And now, with the announcements said and done, we will now hear the sorting hat's song before we arrange the students into their proper houses!" Dumbledore said brightly as McGonagall brought out the millenium old piece of haberdashery.

The head wear shivered and, came to life, shooting the elderly headmaster a baleful glare.

"I ain't singin'!" the sorting hat snorted.

"What? What do you mean you're not signing?" Dumbledore sputtered.

"Since you felt the need to back out on our deal, I'm not singing! Our agreement was for one bottle of Snuggles fabric softener in exchange for me singing the song!"

The last time I let you drink that garbage you almost sorted half of last year's class into being assistant groundskeepers!" the grey haired man thundered.

"Go stuff it up yer nose! I ain't singing until I get my Snuggles!" the hat sneered

"Either you sing…or I get Mrs. Morris in here to use you as a scratching post!" Dumbledore threatened.

"You wouldn't!"

"In a heartbeat you moth eaten piece of terrycloth!"

"FINE! You want a sorting song, I'll give you a sorting song! Hogwarts, baby doll…HIT IT!"

With that the world shimmered around the students as the great hall underwent a startling transformation. Instead of the bright and welcoming dining chamber, the students and faculty found themselves in the middle of a dark, gothic graveyard, the full moon shining overhead. Instead of the wooden tables and chairs, the school population found themselves sitting on crumbling gravestones and rotting stumps. The hat began singing in a surprisingly good tenor.

You hear the screeching of an owl,  
You hear the wind begin to howl,  
You know there's zombies on the prowl,

"URRGGGHHH!"

"UGAH!"

"UWAH!"

Dumbledore started when he heard voices moan and groan around him.

"ALBUS! Look out!" Professor McGonagall yelled.

But it was too late. Dumbledore belatedly realized that the moaning was indeed zombies. They had risen from the ground behind him and pushed him down the high hill the teachers were now situated on.

And it's terror time again,  
They've got you running though the night,  
It's terror time again,  
And you just might die of fright,  
It's a terrifying time,

"OOF!" the venerable headmaster grunted as he came to an abrupt stop at the base of the high rise.

"URGAH!"

"OOH!"

"UURRRR!"

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he starred at the newly arisen trio of undead. He frantically groped for his wand, only to realize that he had lost it in the fall.

One of the zombies dangled it mockingly from his rotting fingers and tossed it into the underbrush.

"Oh Bugger…" the headmaster gulped.

You hear the beating of your heart,  
You know the screaming's gonna start,  
Here comes the really scary part,  
Cause it's terror time again,  
They've got you running through the night,

Deciding that a retreat was in order, the aged man ran for his life. He hot footed it across a bog with conveniently placed logs to hop across.

"ACK!" Dumbledore yelped as one of the 'logs shifted under his feet and turned out to be a man eating crocodile. The venerable old man swam as fastas he could to the other side of the swamp, only to come face to face with a trio of civil war zombies.

"What are civil war soldiers doing in England?" the ancient wizard yelped.

It's terror time again,  
Oh, you just might die of fright,  
It's a terrifying time,

Dumbledore stopped and stumbled off the beaten path, desperate for a breather. The bushes rustled beside him. Against his better judgment, the old man parted the branches looked into the pale faces of more terrifying ghoul.

"ARGH!" Dumbledore screeched as he ran again.

The slytherin who Dumbledore came eye to eye with tossed the offending piece of shrubbery away.

"What's his problem?" the pale boy growled.

"Dunno…" the girl next to him grunted.

"Me either…" another student mumbled.

All the trees begin to moan,  
And the monsters grunt and groan,  
Rotting faces full of slime,  
Don't you know it's terror time,

The head of the school leaped a fallen log, only to plunge face first into a previously hidden patch of swampland.

Dumbledore flailed as he tried to get enough purchase to pull himself out of the trap.

The zombies gathered around grinning toothily, and hemming the ancient man in.

And it's terror time again,  
They've got you running through the night,  
Yes, it's terror time again,  
Oh, you just might die of fright,  
It's a terrifying time!

"All right Hogwarts, that's a wrap!" The sorting hat chuckled.

The world around the students shimmered once again, and the cemetery turned once again into the great hall.

"I hate you…" Dumbledore growled as he got unsteadily to his feet.

"Same to you buttercup! But the next time you try to back out of a deal with me, you'll being hearin' from my union! And the haberdashery local 509 is a lot less merciful than I am! Now let the sorting begin!" the sorting hat cackled.

BANG!

A body flew through the side doors and skipped across the hall like a stone on a lake.

"What was that for you crazy b****?" Harry snarled.

"For running my life that's what!" Rosé spat.

"As if it's not bad enough that I have nearly half the continent after my hide…now I have to deal with a pissed off girl with a chip on her shoulder!" the three eyed boy hissed.

"I'm after more than your hide, I'm after a pound of flesh, and I don't care what part of you I rip it out of!" the bi haired girl shrieked as she dived on the alchemist, kicking and punching.

"OW! NO HAIR PULLING!

"ARGH! YOU BIT ME! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!"

"HOW ABOUT SOME INTEREST?"

THWACK!

OW!

BANG!

"ARGH!"

FWAP!

"WATCH THE HANDS!"

SMACK!

"HOW ABOUT YOU WATCH THE HANDS!"

"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH! **_Expelliarmus!_" **a third party bellowed.

The spell slammed into the two brawling children, sending them flying in opposite directions.

"Ow! Who's the wise ass that hit me?" Harry groaned.

"That would be me! And that love tap is the least of what's going to happen to you after the sorting is over with! Imagine, getting into a brawl before school even begins!" McGonagall scowled as she hauled the boy to his feet by an iron grip on his arm.

"Not my fault the little hellion hit me from behind. Since when am I not allowed to defend myself when I get attacked?" the middle Elric growled, shooting the teacher a withering glare.

The transfiguration professor stiffened shooting the pink haired girl a shocked look.

"Is this true?" McGonagall hissed.

Rosé refused to meet the teacher's eyes.

"I see…rest assured once you are sorted, we will have a discussion with your head of house. As it stands the only thing saving you from expulsion is the fact that you haven't been sorted yet, and are not technically a student. Rest assured that I will be keeping a very close eye on you in the future miss…"

"Rosé. Rosé Delvina." She said meekly.

"Ms. Delvina. We will discuss this behavior in great depth, after the sorting!" The transfiguration professor scowled as she dragged the girl away by the scruff of her neck like a naughty kitten.

* * *

"What was that about?" Ron gaped as Harry took his place in line again.

"Hell if I know. I knew the girl for all of twenty four hours. Not sure what I did that could evoke that kind of reaction!"

"ABBOTT, HANNAH!" McGonagall yelled.

"Hufflepuff!" The hat barked after it was placed on her head.

"Well you had to have done something!" the redhead sputtered.

_"Like I'm going to tell him that I ruined the economic infrastructure of that girl's home town and drove their main source of money, the head preacher, into hiding!"_ Harry thought.

"BONES, SUSAN!"

"Hufflepuff!" the sorting hat answered.

Harry looked behind him and winced at the heated glare Rosé was shooting him.

_"Gotta watch my back around her, I've already been hit from behind twice today. And that's twice too many!"_ the three eyed boy thought.

"BOOT, TERRY!

"Ravenclaw!"

Brockhurst, Mandy was the second Ravenclaw to be sorted, quickly followed by the new Gryffindor 'Brown, Lavender'.

The sorting didn't follow a clear pattern. The hat was placed on a student's head and it yelled out what house that person was best suited for.

Then came Delvina, Rosé.

"HUFFLPUFF!" the hat bellowed.

_"That makes sense. The girl's incredibly loyal to those few people she respects."_ Harry thought as the girl took her seat at the table with a yellow badger banner hanging above it.

Things went smoothly until Granger, Hermione was called. The hat stayed on her head for a good five minutes.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat bellowed finally.

The brunette blushed she walked over to the house with the blue eagle banner over the table.

"Hope I'm not in the same house as her…" Ron muttered.

After Hermione was Lonbottom, Neville. He was another student who took a long time to be sorted. The hat evaluated him for a good fifteen minutes before it proclaimed "GRYFFINDOR!"

Malfoy strutted up to the stool. The moment the hat was an inch from his head, the hat let out a piercing scream of "SLYTHERIN!"

Moon…Nott…Parkinson…The Patil Twins, students found themselves being sorted faster and faster.

Finally, the name that Harry had been waiting for was called…"Potter/Elric, Harry!"

Murmurs of shock sounded around the room as Harry sat himself down on the stool. The last thing he saw was the students gazing wonderingly at him.

_"HMMM! This is interesting. You're the first child I've sorted whom I haven't been able to read!"_ a voice chuckled in Harry's mind.

_"You know it's only polite to ask before you start poking around in a person's head!"_ The three eyed boy thought dryly.

_"I see, so…would you mind if I poke around your noggin a bit so I can sort you sometime this century?"_

_"Fine, but what you see stays between us. If I find out you blabbed to anyone, even to the headmaster, you're going to have an appointment with a jar of the hungriest moths I can find!"_

_"Understood…my, my, my! You certainly have lived an interesting life! A State alchemist at such a young age... remarkable! The last one who came to this school had attained such a title, did so at only a few week before he arrived here."_

_"Who was it?"_

_"Sorry my boy, I'm sure you'll find out in good time. Now onto business, you'd fit well in any of the houses. You're smart, loyal, brave, and cunning. You'd do well in any of the four."_

_"All I ask is that you don't put me in the same house as the ferret ro that pink haired girl. I'd kill them both in five seconds."_

_"Agreed, well out of the two remaining houses, I can think of one place that fits you best would be…_RAVENCLAW!"

Harry grinned as he slipped the hat off his head and walked over to the Eagle banner table, sitting next to Hermione.

The last one that Harry paid attention to was "Weasley, Ron" who was sorted into Gryffindor as soon as the hat touched head.

* * *

Later that night, Harry laid in his new bed and drifted off to sleep, stroking Azulara softly.

"Well, I may not believe in Magic, but I think I may just like it here." The three eyed boy though. as he drifted to sleep

**Index for this chapter**

Ron Wealsey: The youngest male of the Wealsey Family. he has somewhat of a complex because of his older brothers accomplishments and being forced to live in their shadows. He is very loyal to his friends, and always willing to help when they need it.

Hermione Granger: A muggleborn witch of incredible intelligence. She can be constantly found studying with her nsoe buried in a huge book. One thing about her is that this girl has hidden depths that have yet to be explored.

Draco Malfoy: A pureblood wizard and heir to the wealthy mafloy Family. Unfortunetly, he lack his father's ability to be subtle, and his heavy handed methods get him into more trouble than he expects.

Yūko Ichihara: A woman of incredible beauty and grace. She runs a small store that sells wishes and advice to those whjo need it the most, as long as the person is willing to pay the price in exchange. Not much is known about her past, she tends to move from place to place helping those in need.

Ollivander Ichihara: The older brother to Yūko, he runs a smalll wand shop where he dispense wands for a price and advice for free. he occasionally helps his sister by tracking down obscure artifacts that might be out of her reach.

Authors Note: Oh and one final note, not many people have been reviewing. I realize my updates have been sporadic, but I'd still like to hear more from all of you readers. So if you have something to say, drop me a review and tell me about it. If you think this story sucks, tell me, if you think it's good tell me. If you have a suggestion, let me know and I'll take it into consideration. What I'm say is please read and review.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	13. Chapter 11: School Daze

**"Well, another chapter down in record time. My muse really worked overtime for this one."**

**"Yes I did. And you don't pay me enough for the work I do!" Nico Robin sniffed disdainfully.**

**"Hey! What do you call all those books I gave you?" I growled.**

**"I'd hardly call decade old Garfield comic books good literature! The agreement was for classic novels in exchange for my services."**

**"Those are classics! You people see what I have to put up with? I don't get any respect, even in my own head!"**

**"And for good reason!"**

**"Quiet you! Oh well, on with the fic!"**

Chapter 11: School Daze

"If you both don't knock it off, I'm knocking the both of you out and leaving you both behind!"- Harry

The next day, Harry awoke with a start. He gaped at the unfamiliar surroundings. The bed he was laying in was made from high quality wood with hanging curtains draped along all four sides. The walls were of decent quality as well, made with wood print planks that gave the room an earthy feel. Beside his bed was a largish desk that doubled as a dresser. As there three eyed boy realized where he was and what he was doing there, he got up and began his morning routine. As soon as he was dressed, he realized that due to the time change between Armestris and the United Kingdom, it was six o'clock in the morning. He had a good two hour to work out until breakfast.

After getting dressed and ready, the three eyed boy made his way (only getting lost once) to the great hall and out the main doors.

Harry grinned as he settled himself in a wide open spot about a few kilometers from the lake. The middle Elric brother knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had been getting beaten far too often these past few weeks.

First there was Scar who had not only beaten him to a pulp, but flattened his brothers so quickly that it was terrifying. The man had a frighteningly powerful hand to hand style in his possession that outshone anything he had to offer. He was deadly enough with out his alchemical ability to tear people apart with a touch from the inside out.

Then there was that mystery woman with the finger lances. Harry knew that she had been toying with Ed and himself that entire chase. Harry knew that if she had actually chosen to fight the brothers head on, the both of them would have been sliced to ribbons faster than they could blink. That led Harry to one inescapable conclusion.

He had to get stronger, much, much stronger if he wanted to face any of his future foes on an even playing field.

The last Potter was reminded of an incident when he was younger, Ed had beaten him pretty baldy during a sparring session a year ago. His older brother had told him frankly that "it doesn't matter if you know how to do a thousand transmutations. 'Cause a thousand times nothing is still nothing'."

And that was why Harry was standing beside the lake at such an ungodly hour clad in only a loose pair of sweat pants.

Harry clapped his palms together and placed his hands flat to the ground.

RUUUMMMBBLLE!

A tall thick pillar rose out of the ground, what was surprising was the 50 kilograms (110 pound) stone perched at a slight angle on top of the column.

Just as the boulder was about to slide off, Harry back flipped and landed in a picture perfect handstand right where the stone was about to slide off.

THWOMP!

Harry's body jolted at the weight settled on the soles of his inverted feet. Steadying himself, the boy began to lever himself up and down, doing what would be the beginning of his typical workout in the years to come.

"One…Two…Three…Four" the three eyed boy hissed.

* * *

An hour later…

"Two hundred and ninety seven…two hundred and ninety eight…two hundred and ninety nine…three hundred!"

Panting and gasping for breath, Harry let the stone slide off his quivering legs as he collapsed to the ground in an exhausted heap.

* * *

A short while later, Harry was freshly showered and ready to face that day. As he made his way down from the first year dorm to the common room, this was the first time Harry had been able to get a good look at the common room.

The area itself was fairly decorative, with over a half dozen plush, squashy armchairs spaced evenly in front of the now unlit fireplace. One wall was decorated with photos of notable Hogwarts alumni ranging from the past fifty year to present. The opposite wall was dominated by several large bookshelves. The titles covered nearly every topic, muggle and magical, mundane and exotic.

"Like I said last night, I think I'm going to like it here!" Harry nodded approvingly.

* * *

"BURP!" Harry belched as he nibbled on a slice on bacon.

"Enjoying your first English Breakfast?" Hermione asked, eyebrow raised curiously.

"Uh huh. You English know your eats!" the middle Elric chuckled.

Harry suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"I don't know what you did, but it seems you caught the attention of one of the professors!" the bushy haired girl whispered.

Curiously, harry glanced over his shoulder and spied a sallow faced, greasy haired man glaring at him with ill disguised animosity.

"Who or what is that?" Harry growled, not taking his eyes off the man.

"I'd be careful around him if I were you. That's Severus Snape. He's the potion professor. He's notorious for favoring the Slytherins. You'd better watch yourself around him." A pretty older girl named Cho Chang muttered under breath.

"Thanks for the advice, I'm gonna be extra careful around him!" Harry muttered dryly.

* * *

It was a short time later that Harry found himself in his first ever magic class, transfiguration.

The classroom itself was typical layout. The desks were laid out in short rows framing the teacher's desk. The students milled around, chatting quietly while they waited for the teacher.

"OI! Harry!" Ron yelled as he waved the three eyed boy over.

"Hay Ron, how's things?"

"Great. Gryffindor's everything my family told me it would be!" Ron nodded excitedly.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, every one of my brothers and both my parents were sorted into Gryffindor. So they told me all about it!"

"I see." Harry nodded. A cat sprang up onto the desk beside him. Harry absently scratched the feline behind the ear.

"So, how's living in the land of books and pocket protectors?"

"Fine. And I'd watch what I say if I were you. You don't want to go around insulting an entire house."

Ron blushed and nodded.

The cat gave Harry a knowing look and jumped to the floor. The three eyed boy and the redhead almost jumped out of their skins when the feline Harry had been petting suddenly grew and turned into the very professor they had been waiting for.

"Five points to Ravenclaw, Mr. Potter, for being kind to animals." McGonagall smiled faintly

The color drained from Harry's face as he watched the woman stride to the front of the room.

"That…that's just not possible! People just don't turn from one size and species to the other at the drop of a hat!"Harry internally gasped as he mentally replayed the feline to human transformation as McGonagall stood in front of the class, eyeing each student in turn.

"For the next seven years, I am going to instruct you in the difficult and precise art of transfiguration. Needless to say, what I show you in this class is to be used only in this class. If I so much as find any one of you even thinking of misusing what I teach you on each other, you will be expelled from this classroom, never to return, faster than you can say verto ut bestia!" she punctuated this warning with a quick rap of her wand onto her table. The desk shivered and writhed. It shrank and twisted until there was nothing left of the previous hunk of wood. Now in its place was a live, flesh and blood pig.

Now you have to understand, over the past month, Harry's world view had taken quite a beating. He had lived in and grew up in the fairly rural nation of Armestris. The country was at least a century behind the rest of the world. And the sight of massive buildings, transports that were capable of taking people across the world in a matter of days if not hours, and technology beyond the likes of which Harry could conceive was difficult in and unto itself to grasp.

Add in a apparently hidden world where magic of all things flourished, and you can understand that Harry had more or less reached his breaking point by the time he saw the laws of science and physics being broken before his very eyes. The sight of life coming from unlife and a person turning into an animal left the middle Elric pretty much freaked.

He let out a startled cry and toppled out of his seat, he looked at the pig like it was the most horrifying thing he had ever seen.

"How…how...HOW THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?" Harry screeched, every eye now on him for the second time in as many days.

"Mr. Potter what are you yelling about?" McGonagall sputtered.

"What am I yelling about? How about the fact that you were breaking every law of science in the history of the subject! How did you turn into a completely different creature? That would require you to rewrite your entire genetic code! And don't get me started on turning your wooden desk into a living breathing pig! That goes against every law of science! Where did the spare mass go? How did you turn it from a molecular structure of dead wood to a live genetic code for Sus scrofa scrofa?" the Ravenclaw student yowled.

"Susa whatsa?" Ron blinked

"The common domestic pig." Hermione supplied.

"Oh…" the redhead uttered.

McGonagall, for her part, looked quite flummoxed. In all her years as a teacher of magic, no one had ever reacted to her introductory speech quite vehemently before.

"I must confess, though I loath to admit it, I do not know the answer to those questions. The fact is that the magical world doesn't have a great amount of science. So I'm afraid that no one, even Dumbledore knows the answer at present. All I can suggest is that you research the subject and try to find out for yourself." McGonagall replied.

"I see." Harry snorted.

"Now, if the lesson can continue, today we are going to start with the most basic form of transfiguration…turning a simple wooden toothpick into a needle. The transfiguration professor informed her class as she pulled a container of the tiny wooden implements, passing it down the rows.

"Now if you follow these wand movements closely, you will notice the changes. Let us begin." McGonagall informed her class

"Fan-feakin'-tastic…" the three eyed boy snorted as he prepared to break the laws of nature with the rest of the class.

* * *

"What was that about?" Ron snorted at Harry as the class shuffled out an hour later.

Harry shot his pseudo friend a weak glare. "Do you remember when I said that I was a scientist first and foremost? And that I didn't believe half the things that I read the magical world was capable of?"

"Yeah…what about it?"

"I wasn't being obtuse when I said that. Do you know what a scientist does?"

"No."

"Oh boy! I'm starting to think that wizards got magic in exchange for common sense…" Harry muttered his breath.

"OI! I resemble that remark!" Ron scowled.

"And that's not a good thing my friend. Back to the subject at hand…a scientist studies the natural world, and figures out how things work. Before I came here, science was my life and things like people turning into felines and desks turning into pigs and back was considered totally impossible. The stuff that's happened in the past twenty four hours has pretty much turned my entire view of the world on its ear." Harry grunted dryly.

"I see." Ron blinked.

"No you don't."

"You're right. I'm a wizard and I don't think I want to. I know that magic can do a lot of things, and that's all I want to know." Ron winced.

"And that's the difference between you and me." Harry drawled as he walked to his next class.

* * *

The next several classes went more smoothly. Charms went much along the same vein as transfiguration. Tiny professor Flitwick, who was the head of Harry's house, told them how "charms are one of the more complex and volatile branches of Magic. And if anyone was harmed because they decided to endanger themselves or others, the offender would not return." With that speech out of the way, the students learned the very first charms spell, a simple piece of magic that transformed the color of one object to another. This ended in a rather spectacular fashion when poor Neville Longbottom misfired his spell and managed to turn the professor a lurid shade of mauve. The only positive fact about this incident was that he was one of the few who were capable of casting the spell properly in his first class.

History of Magic was another matter entirely, If Harry could sum up the class in one word, it would be Boring with a capital B. This class was one of the ones that Harry was looking forward to the most, if for no other reason than he hoped that this would demystify the magical world a bit. Knowledge was power after all. The only problem was that the class was so dreadfully dull that not even Hermione was capable of staying awake for more than half the class. The course was taught by the only ghost on the faculty (another fact that made Harry jump out of his skin). According to some of the upper years, a decade ago, Professor Cuthbert Binns died one day when he fell asleep in front of the fire, but apparently did not notice that he had shuffled off this mortal coil. He carried on with his duties ever since, much to the student's disgust.

Then came potions class…

* * *

The middle Elric was not looking forward to his next class. As sciences went, chemistry was easily his weakest subject. More often than not, he spent most of his time struggling to avoid blowing up the classroom. It got to the point where he was banned from the class after he set his fifth desk on fire.

Harry shivered as he stepped through the imposing iron door that led to the potions classroom, deep in the dungeons of Hogwarts. What a school needed a dungeon for, Harry didn't know. This particular class was a mix of all four houses. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end when he saw Malfoy shooting him a practically feral leer. Every instinct Harry possessed told the boy to lash out and smack the grin off the blonds' face. Harry knew that would be a monumentally stupid move to make. So the boy restrained himself, if only just.

Taking a seat next to Ron, Harry filtered out the chatter and meditated, like Izumi Curtis taught him. Better to prepare him to deal with Snape, if the rumors were anything to go by.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"Harry, Snape's coming!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"Potter…"

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"Potter! Are you listening?"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"**POTTER**!" A voice bellowed in his ear.

"ARGH!" the middle Elric yelped as he almost jumped high enough to cling to the ceiling like a startled cat

"Do you, our resident celebrity, feel that you don't pay attention with the rest of the class?"Snape hissed balefully.

"No sir!" Harry gulped.

"Humph. That will be five points from Ravenclaw for not paying attention in class. Now, back to the lesson. Put your wands away, there will be no silly, superfluous wand waving in my course. For the next seven year, those of you who aren't complete lack wits and fail this course spectacularly, will learn the subtle art of potions. I can teach you, if you put the necessary effort into what I teach you, to brew glory, bottle fame, even stopper death. Providing you have the…aptitude for what I teach you. POTTER!" Snape barked.

"Yes?"

"What is a beozar and where can I find one?"

"In the stomach of a goat sir. That's the only place that produces the proper enzymes to create the best general poison antidote known to magic…sir." Harry answered.

"And how do you know that?"

"I studied the school text for the last month or so. I think the explanation for the beozar is mentioned in chapter three, sir." Harry replied.

The potions professor shot him an unreadable look. "Since Mr. Potter seems to have such a strong grasp on the literary aspect of potions, sets see how the class's practical aspect of potions making turns out."

Snape stalked up to the front of the class and flipped the chalkboard around, revealing a complex set of instructions.

"In front of you is a simple set of instructions for a potion to cure boils. The person next to you will be your partner for the remainder of the year. All the ingredients are in the student cupboard to your left. You have an hour to brew the potion and leave a labeled sample on my desk. BEGIN!"

Fifteen minutes later…

As Ron continued to add a variety of mismatched and unappetizing ingredients into their potion, it turned from yellow, to green, to sapphire, to burnt umber, to a kind of ditch water gray, and finally settled on some sort of silver-lavender fusion that reminded Harry of the color of monkey vomit. Just looking at it made the duo feel sick to their stomachs.

"Um...is it supposed to look like that?" Ron asked weakly as the concoction simmered.

"I don't know, but I vote you take some first. If you keel over, then we'll know it tastes as bad as it looks…" the three eyed boy snorted dryly.

Sadly, nothing they did got the potion to turn to the proper color and consistency. Harry and Ron ran out of time and had to bottle the sludge, handing it into to the professor.

"Fame clearly isn't everything!" Snape sniffed as he looked disdainfully at the crystal vial of "potion".

* * *

That afternoon, Harry sighed as he plopped himself down at the Ravenclaw table. Transfiguration class and the revelations that came with it were the high point of the day.

"Penny for your thought?" Hermione asked.

"I don't belong here. I'm a scientist, not a magician! I just wish I was home with my brothers…" Harry groaned.

"Brothers?"

"Yeah, My older Brother's name is Edward. He three years older than me, although half the time he acts like a five year old. My younger brother, Alphonse, is two years younger than me. Sometimes he acts more like an adult then Ed and I both together."

"Sounds nice. They must make things interesting."

"You have no idea. I'm going to regret telling you this, but there was this one time I was eight that Ed slipped me a sleeping pill…"

* * *

Half an hour later, Hermione had tears in her eyes she was laughing so hard.

"I c-can't believe that you shaved your big brother bald and tried to use the hair in a voodoo doll!" the brunette giggled.

"Yeah. To this day I don't know if Ed was humoring me when I stuck those pins into the doll's rear, or if by some twist of fate the thing actually worked." Harry snorted.

"HOOT! HOOT!"

The conversation was interrupted by a largish barn owl landing in front of Harry.

"Um…what does it want?" Harry blinked as he looked the avian in the eye."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's got a letter for you!" she snorted.

"Oh…" Harry shrugged as he untied the letter.

Dear Harry

I know that we didn't get off on the right foot, butI wanna try again. How about you come to my cabin tonight fer tea? Hope to see yeh soon.

Hagrid

"What does he me by 'we didn't get off on the right foot'?" Hermione blinked curiously.

"Well…err…I kind of…threatenedtoturnhis beardtostoneandyank itoutonehairatatime…" the three eyed boy babbled.

"Slower please, and in English." The brunette prompted.

"I threatened to turn his beard to stone and yank it out one hair at a time…" the middle Elric winced.

"What possessed you to do that?" Hermione squawked.

"I know it's not an excuse… but I was kind of ticked off. I had just got dumped into this new world where I am apparently famous for something I don't remember, and suddenly Hagrid starts to play games, keeping my vault key from me, refusing to tell me just WHY the people in the Leaky Cauldron mobbed me like I was bloody Fuhrer King Bradley!" the Ravenclaw boy snorted.

"Who?"

"ERK! Erm…someone really famous that lives in my home country. My point was that I don't like being played with, and he pushed all the wrong buttons." Harry shrugged.

"Be that as it may, it's better to have friends than enemies. So maybe you should think of apologizing to him?"

"You're right…I'll do it tonight." Harry sighed.

* * *

A few hours later, three students stepped out the doors of the Great Hall and onto the school grounds.

"I don't see why we have to bring her along!" Ron growled, shooting Hermione a hostile glare.

"The feeling is more than mutual!" the brunette sniffed.

"Could the two of you knock it off for five seconds?" Harry scowled.

"I will if he/she does!" the both said simultaneously.

"Knock it off!" they repeated.

"You knock it off!" the two chorused.

"Stop copying me!" the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw said at once.

"No, you stop copying me!" the two answered in chorus.

"If you both don't knock it **off**, I'm knocking the both of you **out,** and leaving you both **behind**!" the three eyed boy snarled.

"Sorry Harry!" they apologized meekly.

* * *

A few minutes later, the trio arrived at Hagrid's Hut at the edge of the forest. It was a ramshackle structure, but solid and homely, just like its owner.

Harry gave the front door a solid rap.

"WOOF! WOOF! ARF!"

"BACK FANG! BACK!" the groundskeeper bellowed as the sound of a struggle ensued from within.

Hagrid pushed the door open and ushered the three inside. "Come in, come in, I got some tea on the boil and some cakes bakin' in the oven. Make yer selves at 'ome." The large man smiled pleasantly.

"These are Ron and Hermione." Harry introduced.

"Ah, I heard about you two. You've been makin' waves in this school missy! It's yer first day and their sayin' yer the smartest witch to come to Hogwarts in a while!" Hagrid chortled.

"W-why thank you!" Hermione blushed.

"And another Weasley eh? I spent half me life chasin' yer brothers away from the forest and keepin' 'em outta mischief!"

DING!

"AH! The rock cakes are ready."

The pastries turned out to be just like their name sakes, rock hard. Ron chipped a tooth trying to bite into one. Hermione eyed hers dubiously while Harry was content to let his congeal.

As Ron and Hagrid discussed the redhead's older brother Charlie (who had gone on to raising and breeding dragons after he graduated) Harry read the front page of the newspaper lying on Hagrid's dining room table. One article in particular caught his eye.

Gringott's Break-in: A New Crime Wave?

Investigations continue as aurors and security Goblins search

for the perpetrator behind the daring break-in on July thirty first.

Gringotts Goblin, Griphook, stated that the vault had been

emptied earlier that day only hours before it had been broken

into. "And if you continue to keep sticking your tiny

Human noses into our business, you'll learn the hard

way what will happen!" the Spoksgoblin stated.

More news to come as the investigation continues.

_"Ok that's definitely not a coincidence, Hagrid empties a nearly bare vault and the bank is robbed that same day? Something doesn't add up!"_ Harry thought.

"Oi, Hagrid, you never told me what it was that you got from that vault when you we visited Gringotts." Harry said conversationally.

Hagrid looked at the Paper in Harry's hands and wouldn't meet his eyes. "Erm, that's Hogwarts business. That kind of info is handed out on a need teh know basis..and you don't need to know!" the large man rumbled.

_"Curiouser and curiouser!"_thought the black haired boy as Hagrid continued to chat amicably with Harry's new friends.

* * *

It was later that night that Harry was deeply asleep. Now this wasn't abnormal per say, but what was strange was the misty world harry found himself in. The pajama clad boy walked along the foggy lanes of the dream world, not in any particular direction.

"Hello! Is anyone out there?" Harry yelled.

"I was wondering when you would find your way here 'Boy who lived…" Someone chuckled from the depths of the shrouded world.

"Who's there?"

"You know, I was kind of disappointed when I first saw you, the person who defeated the darkest lord in the history of magic. I was kind of hoping you'd be taller." The voice snickered.

"Less with the put downs please! Would you show yourself already?" Harry growled.

"Fine, fine…ruin my fun why don't you." The mystery person snorted. From out of the depths of the mist stepped a person who could have passes himself off as an older version of Harry. He was tall and well built with short spiked black hair. He looked out at the world through hazel colored eyes with laugh lies at the corners.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I was one of Voldemort's first victims. My name Is Tom Riddle! And I'm here to help you!" Riddle grinned happily.

**Index for this Chapter**

Hagrid: The groundskeeper of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was expelled form the school several decades earlier for reasons not known to the public. Dumbledore pulled somestrings ans gave the boy the grounds keeper position. he lovingly cares for the beasts that reside on the school grounds and the school it self. More often than not, the younger students look to him as a surrogate big brother of sorts.

Severus Snape: The potions professor of Hogwarts. He is responsible for teaching the students of all four houses how to brew, bottle, and store, the various necessary potions and concoctions necessary for everyday living. He is connected to Harry's late family and loathes the last potter with a passion.

Tom Riddle: Voldemort's supposed first victim who comes seeking Harry in his dreams. There is more to him than meets the eye.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	14. Chapter 12: The Tangled Web

**"Well, another chapter said and done. And this was finished even though my regular muse went missing. I read in the Grand Line Times she was involved in an incident at someplace called ****Sabaody Archipelago.** So I'm doing this with a guest muse until I manage to track her down."

**"What do I have to do to get some peace and quiet around here!" ****Naru Narusegawa spat angrily.**

**"I didn't mean you!" I scowled.**

**"Yeah, he meant me! Revel rood part!" Zatanna grinned as waved her wand, conjuring a lever labeled 'impostor muse ejector switch', which she gave a mighty pull.**

**CLUNK!**

**"Author no BAAAKKKAAA!" the red head yowled as she fell down the trap door that opened under her feet.**

**"I get the feeling we're gonna get along just fine. One last bit of business before the fic starts. Zatanna, if you would?"**

**"Sorakage Sama doesn't own any of this. He's just borrowing it for his and your amusement." the magician smiled as she and I disappeared in a puff of smoke.**

Chapter 12: The Tangled Web

I'm gonna kick your ass so hard you're gonna kiss the moon- Harry

"I don't want you to thunk that I'm ungrateful for your generous offer, but who are you, where am I, and why are you offering to help me?" Harry blinked.

"As I said, I was one of Voldemort's first victims when he started his campaign of terror throughout the United Kingdom. I've been stuck as a wandering spirit for the past several decades after he hit me with a dark curse that separated my spirit from my body and stuck me in this dream realm. And as a spirit, I've had more than my fair share of free time to keep an ear to the ground, so to speak." Riddle drawled.

"Oh?" Harry blinked.

"Yep. And one thing I learned is that Voldemort is not as dead as people think. The snake faced bastard was ripped from his body the night you got that scar much the same way I was. Only he lost most of his abilities."

"So Voldemortis still more or less alive and if we meet, he'll try to finish what he started a decade ago." Harry grimaced.

"Exactly! It looks like you can teach a young dog some new tricks!"

"OI! I told you to watch the put down or I will kick your butt from here to Uranus!" the middle Elric snorted indignantly.

"Oh? Wanna put that theory to the test?" Riddle drawled.

"Why not, I could use a workout."

Harry blurred at Riddle throwing a quick right, that had it connected, would have knocked out half the man's teeth. The older man casually palmed the proffered hand.

"Lesson one; all the skills in the world won't do squat if your opponent is just plain better than you." Tom said solemnly.

A hundred of streamers of light collected around Riddle's fist as Harry stood there in slack jawed horror.

"Lesson two; augmenting physical attacks with magic can have explosive results. _Ouka Hou Ken (Blossom crushing fist)!"_

The magically enhanced fist slammed into Harry's gut with the force of a semi-trailer. The middle Elric suddenly experienced a curious feeling of vertigo as his body rag dolled across the dreamscape. Only to come to a screeching halt as he hung suspended in mid air.

"Lesson three; the fundamentals can have just as crushing an effect if you use them correctly. This is a basic levitation charm that you learn in first year. It can be used for many things. You just have to be creative."

Harry dropped to the ground as a sickly yellow beam of light shot out of Riddle's wand and arced toward him with blinding speed. Harry closed his eyes and suddenly felt a curious cooling sensation. The three eyed boy's eyes shot open when he realized that the spell did nothing other than make him a little damp. His relief was short lived when he saw that Tom was blurring at him with another _Ouka Hou Ken_ wrapped around his hand.

The fist stopped an inch from his face.

"Lesson four, the art of deception. Make an opponent think that you're going to do something, and then do something else. Any questions?"

"Can you teach me?" Harry asked weakly.

"Why not…It's not like that's what i came here to do!" he replied glibly.

* * *

Harry sighed as he woke in his bed, the workout was bore a passing resemblance to Boot camp from hell. Riddle had worked him into the ground, spending the few hours they had in the dreamscape to drill a half dozen beginner's spells. They were a mix of charms a transfiguration. And when used in conjunction with his Alchemy, those spells had the potential to really do some damage.

This was an especially good thing since the Librarian, Madam Pince, guarded her precious book with a fervor more suited religious zealot than a librarian. Just the other day harry had tried to look up some beginning dueling techniques, only to discover they were all in the restricted section. His one attempt at gaining access led to the tyrannical librarian chasing him out of the school library with a hoard of enchanted goods; rulers, bottles of whiteout, massive bundles of lined paper. The middle Elric was lucky to escape with only a few lumps and bruises.

So Riddle coming to him and offering new techniques was a god send. One the eleven year old was going to take full advantage of.

* * *

It was several hours later when Harry sat down next to Ron at the Gryffindor table. Thankfully, no one made much of a fuss over a Ravenclaw sitting there. The two were engrossed in the time honored male tradition of comparing scar stories.

"I got this one from wrestling with my older Brother Charlie; he knocked me into a gully when I was six. I fell into a huge brier patch, scratched me up something awful." Ron said, pulling up his shirt, showing a latticework of old scars on his left side.

"I got that topped. I got this one from falling out of a tree. I slammed into a rock and tore up my shoulder. I spent six months in a cast and another six in therapy getting my full range of motion back!" Harry said, pulling down his sweater at the shoulder and showing off a particularly long and deep gouge, making sure not to pull it down enough to reveal his automail.

"Ooops!"

SPLAT!

Without warning, a plate full of food splattered onto Harry. The boy who lived found himself wearing a plateful of half eaten eggs, toast, and bacon.

"Looks like I did you a favor Potter. Now you act like trash and look the part as well!" Draco sneered.

"What did you say you rat faced little turd?" Harry snarled, going nose to nose with the blond.

"I call 'em like I see 'em. And I see a piss poor excuse for a wizard." The sallow skinned boy sniffed.

"That is IT! You wanna throw down ferret? I'm gonna give you such a beating that'll send a big enough shockwave back in time to prevent your misbegotten ancestor from planting baby seeds!" the three eyed boy hissed angrily.

"Fine, a wizard's duel it is. None of that Muggle trash you seem so fond of."

"Before I agree, I have a question for you. What's your middle name?"

"Ignatius…why?"

"Because I Harry James Potter Elric, heir to the house of Potter accept you challenge, Draco Ignatius Malfoy, heir to the house of Malfoy. We meet tonight at midnight, here in the great hall. And just so you know, there are no rules in dueling against that so called 'muggle trash I like so much'." Harry grinned wolfishly.

The color drained from Draco's face as Harry stated word for word the proper acceptance for a wizards duel. The air around them crackled as magic itself bound the challenge

"Oh fudge nuggets…" Drago gulped.

"What happened?" Professor Dumbledore, who was followed by Snape and Professor McGonagall, said coolly.

Harry jerked a thumb at Malfoy, then grabbed the back of his robe as he tried to run away. "Malfoy challenged me to a duel, I accepted."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dueling isn't allowed on school grounds."

"That would be true normally, but if that flash of magic was any indication, I'd say that the duel is going to happen, rules or no rules." Harry grinned.

"Indeed…" Dumbledore blinked owlishly.

"But headmaster, you can't Potter allow to…"

"Severus, my hands are tied. The duel was accepted properly and there is no way to undo it. Under these circumstances, I will grant you both the day off to prepare for the challenge tonight. Be in the great hall tonight at midnight with your seconds."

Snape shot a dark glare at Harry as he led Draco by the shoulder.

* * *

It was later that night that Hermione and Harry sat by the fire.

"Well, I have an hour until the duel, so we'd better get to the Gryffindor tower so I can get Ron. I don't want to be disqualified for not having my second with me."

"I don't see why you need that red headed baboon to help you in this duel." Hermione sniffed.

"No offense Hermie…but if I want to get through this with my skin one piece, than I need someone to watch my back. Malfoy has live in a magical household all his life. I wouldn't put it past him to have had a wand and been learning spells since he could talk. I need all the advantages I can get. And besides, that 'red headed baboon' is a friend of mine. So watch the put downs please?"

"I will if he does." The brunette mumbled.

* * *

Ron and Hermione shot each other hostile glares as they made their way down a corridor away from the common room. Only to stop when they heard a voice mumbling from a shadowy corner.

"What am I gonna do? The Fat Lady's already gone and even if she was in her frame, I don't remember the password!" Neville Longbottom whined.

"Neville? Is that you?" Ron blinked.

"EEP! What are you doing out of the dorms after curfew!" the nervous boy squeaked.

"I have a duel with Malfoy scheduled in forty five minutes, and I'd like to get there on time. So either you stay here, and get caught by Filch or come with us." Harry said shortly.

"I think I'll take my chances with you three thanks." The chubby boy said gratefully.

The next several minutes went by without incident, until the four met with two unwelcome delays one after the other.

"What are you doing here Elric/Delvina?" the Hufflepuff and the Ravenclaw said with equal venom in their voices.

"Can we get moving please? The duel is in half an hour!" Ron groaned as Harry and Rose glared at each other and made no effort to move.

The second distraction came moments later in the form of the castle caretaker, Argus Filch. A more odious man there never was.

"Sniff 'em out my sweet! Those wayward students have to be around here somewhere! Wizard's duel my eye! I'll teach those little ghouls the penalty for beain' out after hours. Maybe Dumbledore will let me use the whips and chains this time. It will be so much fun!" Filch hissed to his cat.

"Bugger me! That toad's the last thing we need right now!" Ron moaned.

"I think a strategic withdrawal is in order…" Hermione gulped as Filch's voice came closer.

"What does that mean?" Neville blinked.

"Run for it!" Harry barked.

The five students ran back the way they came, several chaotic minutes later, they took a breather in a little used corridor.

"Why…did I…run…again…? I didn't do anything!" the brown and pink haired girl growled.

"Because that odious little man wasn't going to listen to any explanation. And unless you wanted to be hung by your ankles and have Filch do who knows what to you, you had as much choice as we did." Harry snorted.

"W-why do you h-h-hate Harry so much anyway?" Neville squeaked.

"He ruined my life, that's why! Him and his damnable brothers poked their noses where they didn't belong and all but left my village in ruins."

"Be kind and rewind please? Unless I'm missing something, Father Cornello may have brought prosperity to your town, but he was planning to turn your desert dustbowl into his own personal army! He was going to use your people to take over the country! So boo, frickin', hoo! Get over yourself Delvina! Lord knows I did!" Harry spat.

"Don't act all righteous you little toad, you had a stake in bringing Cornello down! You were after his MPPHH!"

Harry slapped his hand over her mouth.

"Ix-nay one the on-stay! We'll both get in **big** trouble if you spill state secrets on my watch!" the three eyed boy hissed angrily.

"What are you two jabbering about?" Ron sputtered.

"Nothing, just keep an ear out for Filch please?"

"They're this way my sweet!" the caretaker hissed.

"Oh Hells **bum**! What do we have to do to get rid of him!" Hermione groaned.

"Hells bum?" Ron blinked.

"You try to think of something witty when people are yelling right in your ear!" the brunette grimaced.

"Out of the way!" Harry groaned as he shoved them aside. Throwing caution to the winds, harry clapped his hands together and slapped them palm first into the door. The wooden slab glowed brightly and dissolved into a cloud of ash.

"Get in! Get in!" the three eyed boy hissed as the other piled into the now open corridor.

Harry repeated the process, and the pile of ash dust turned back into a door.

"How did you do that? That wasn't any magic I've read about! You just disintegrated that door and put it back together with a touch of your hands?" Hermione cackled.

"Quiet please? I'm trying to listen for Filch!" Ron snorted as he put his ear to the door.

"I can tell you how he did it." Rosé said conversationally.

"Shut it! Or did you forget already what I said about state secrets? Bradley would have my nuts on a platter if you blabbed!" the middle Elric scowled.

"Not my problem!" the pink haired girl sing songed.

"Oh yes it is! If I go down, you do too! I am not going alone if you decide to do something stupid!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know at the moment…but it'll be unpleasant! I can promise you that!

"D-D-D-D-D…" Neville stuttered as he pawed at Harries nightshirt.

"Knock it off! I'm trying to keep an ear out for Filch!" Ron hissed.

"DU-DU-DU-DU-DU…" the frightened Gryffindor whimpered.

"For the love of…what's going…MOTHER OF MADNESS!" the redhead screeched.

"DUCK!" Neville yelled.

"A duck? Where?" Hermione asked, though she would later fervently deny having said anything.

Ron grabbed Hermione and Rosé and dragged throwing them to the ground, narrowly missing having their heads bitten off by the giant three headed dog that snapped at air above their collective skulls seconds before. Harry leaped aside just time while Neville scrambled away on all fours.

"Why did I have to get dragged along with you turkeys?" Rose shrieked as got to her feet and barely dodged a lunge from the three headed canine.

"I don't know, but I want this whole _fowl_ situation to end once and for all. So can we run for our lives please?" Harry cackled as he threw the door open…only to find Filch standing in front of him, grinning triumphantly, crowing "I have you now!"

But that didn't stop the five from making their mad dash for safety, mowing the caretaker down in the process.

WHAM!

"Sorry!" Hermione squeaked.

THUD!

"My apologies!" Harry said weakly.

BONK!

"I always wanted to do that!" Ron chortled

BANG!

"I r-r-r-regret nothing!" Neville stuttered.

WHAP!

"Better you than me!" Rose deadpanned.

* * *

"Potter has one minute before he automatically forfeits the duel. You might as well declare me the winner now, since he's too much of a chicken to show." Draco crowed triumphantly.

"Patience Draco, he still has a minute left and **then **we'll declare you the winner." Snape drawled.

"I'm telling toy he's not going to show up! Just declare me the winner now! I'm more than willing save yourself the trouble!"

"I'm certain Mr. Potter will be here momentarily. So please have patience" Dumbledore said evenly.

"You're right headmaster! There's no way I'd miss out on this!" harry growled as he and the others walked into the Great hall.

"Now, that both parties have arrived, we can begin." the headmaster nodded.

Draco grimaced and took his place standing back to back with Harry.

"I'm gonna kick your ass so hard you're gonna kiss the moon!" the middle Elric brother scowled.

"I don't know how you got away from Filch, Potter. But you made a mistake in coming here. I'm going to prove once and for all that I'm better than you. And after this, everybody will know it too!" the blond spat.

"You sent that toad after me you little cheater? That's it! The kid gloves are **off**!" the three eyed boy snarled, eyes blazing wrathfully.

"On the count of three, begin…one…two…**three**!" Dumbledore barked as he stepped out of the line of fire.

"Exuviae!" the three eyed boy incanted.

"Protego!" Malfoy yelled as he skidded to a stop.

The shield spell snapped into existence just as the basketball sized spell shot out of Harry's wand with the force of a cannonball.

The enchantment ricocheted off the shield and shot away from the combatants.

"Impedimentia!" Draco cast.

Amazingly, Harry did a perfect split and made the spell sail over his head, missing completely.

"Avis!" the Malfoy heir cast.

Harry yelped as a flock of birds shot out of Malfoy's wand and swarmed the three eyed boy.

"Plango!" Harry cast desperately.

The blond ducked and the spell shot over his head. Harry concentrated and violently slashed his wand downward.

"You're aim is pathetic!" Draco sneered.

"Who said I was aiming for you?" Harry growled as he swatted a stray pigeon.

WHAP!

The floorboard that harry had aimed the spell at rose up in an almost serpent like fashion and whacked the bond on the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

"Check and mate!" Harry grinned, turning toward the judges. His triumphant smile turned into a frown when he saw that Professor Snape was face down on the ground, out cold. Ron was crouched next to him poking the downed professor in the cheek with his wand. Hermione looked like she couldn't decide whether to be amused or upset. And Rose was on her back laughing up a storm.

"Um, what happened?" Harry blinked

"That spell you cast, the one that ricocheted off Malfoy's shield, his him in the head." Ron supplied.

"Erm…ok. Maybe we'd better get out of here before he comes to and decides to kill me slowly…" Harry gulped.

"A-a-agreed." Neville nodded.

* * *

Hermione sat in one of the armchairs by the fire, seemingly deep in thought.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Harry asked.

"Two things. First, what was that dog doing in the castle. Something that big and angry shouldn't be locked in in a tiny corridor."

"Agreed." Harry nodded.

"Also, did you see what it was standing on?"

"No. I was more preoccupied with making sure that it didn't use me as a chew toy than its feet" Harry snorted.

"Well it was standing on a trap door."

"Maybe it was guarding something?"

"That was my thought too. But we'll look into that later. My second point was you."

"Me?"

"Yes you! How were you able to destroy that door with a touch?"

"I can't tell you. If I do, I'll get in more trouble than you can imagine."

"Can you at least tell me what that was?"

"I know I'm going to regret this later…but it was an advanced form of Alchemy from my home country of Armestris. You can't tell **anyone **about this, or I'd, literally end up in front of a firing squad!"

"One last question...will you teach me alchemy?" Hermione asked.

"No, _iie, non, nyet, ikke, nil, ingen, nein, haud, tidak, nem, ban bu dao, aniyo_, _det händer inte_…should I keep going, or have I lost you already?" Harry deadpanned.

"Bu-but why? Why won't you teach me?" She complained.

"Because, you're my friend. So I'm going to give to you straight. You simply don't have the mindset to learn this art. I and almost everybody I know sacrificed their mind body and soul to gain their current level of mastery. You aren't suited for this science. Not even Merlin himself has the power to overcome that."

As Harry walked away, Hermione stayed up into the wee hours of the morning dwelling Harry's words.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	15. Chapter 13: Broomsticks and Battles

**"All right! another chapter out and ready. Once again I have to thank my wonderful audience and my beautiful muse: Zatanna!"**

**"What can I say? the incentives are to die for!" the spell caster purred as the Batman clone peeled grapes and fed them to her while a Flash Clone fanned her gently.**

**"The disclaimer please?" I asked.**

**"All right: Sorakage Sama doesn't own Harry Potter or FMA. They are owned by J.K. Rowling and Hiromu Arakawa. Oh, and you have a visitor." she gestured behind me.**

**"Excuse me...a few of us would like to have a words with you about making clones of us to pimp out to other authors..." the real batman scowled harshly.**

**"Erm..help!" I squeak as the dark knight dragged me away by the scruff of my neck.**

**"Sorry, but no I do muse work only, not bodyguard duty!" she said brightly.**

**"Traitor!" I cackled.**

Chapter 13: Broomsticks and battles

_No! I won't go out like this! I can't go out like this! I have too much to live for! My brothers! My friends! My Family! I! Won't! Die! **YET!- **_Harry

_Dear Ed and Al_

_I know I haven't been able to send you a letter since I got to this school. But believe it or not things have been freaky here. I know I said that magic was a bunch of hooey and I would prove this a sham, but I'm starting to rethink things. I've seen stuff this past month that you wouldn't believe was possible. The first day of classes, I saw one of the teachers turn a desk into a pig. I know what you're thinking, I must be delusional. That's impossible, yadda, yadda, yadda. But I know what I saw. I'm starting to think that maybe that Yūko woman I told you about might be onto something. There is more to heaven or earth than I dreamt of in my philosophy. Sadly, the wizards don't know the secret behind their ability to defy the laws of science. Someday I'll crack the code. But for now, I think I'll celebrate. Apparently a feast in honor of some holiday called "Hall-o-ween" is being held tonight. Hope to hear from you soon brothers._

_Love ya lots_

_Harry_

The middle Elric tied his letter to the leg of the borrowed Owl and set the avian loose in the sky.

* * *

Later that Day Harry wasn't sure what to think of the next step on his magical journey: Flying lessons.

The majority of the first year class was gathered outside on the quidditch pitch. In front of each student was one of the dozens of school brooms. Naturally, harry was skeptical of the idea of flying on anything, let alone a broomstick of all things.

"You have **got **to be kidding me! Do you seriously expect me to believe that this bundle of sticks is capable of flying!" Harry snorted, eying the enchanted device dubiously.

"What's the matter Potter? Scared of heights?" Malfoy snickered. A sentiment that was mirrored by his cronies.

"Yeah Potter, you coward!" Pansy Parkinson cackled.

"This coming from a witch who runs screaming from her own reflection? And for the record, I'm afraid of water, not heights blondie!" Harry spat.

While the two houses were eying each other with ill disguised animosity, none noticed the arrival of madam Hooch, the flying instructor. She was a matronly woman with short cropped gray hair and hawkish yellow eyes.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Line up!" she snapped.

The students scrambled into place, often bumping into each other in the process.

Several hectic seconds later harry found himself parked next to Neville and a Slytherin by the name of Daphne Greengrass.

The Broom Harry was saddled with had obviously seen better days. the twigs at the end were sticking out at odd angles, making it look more like a birds nest than a flight capable artifact.

"Now, stand in front of yer brooms, stick out yer wand hand and say up." Hooch barked.

Harry shrugged and held out his hand, "UP!" be bellowed.

The want shot off the ground and jumped into his outstretched hand.

"U-up…" Neville stuttered weakly. His gave a feeble twitch and sat there.

"OW! Son of a b****! My nose!" Greengrass cursed as she clutched her nose, she had missed her broom and the thing had wacked her lengthwise across the face.

"Tsk, Tsk! A broken nose for sure. Best to head to Madam Pomfrey the nurse. She'll fix ya right up." The flying instructor nodded as she shooed the girl away.

"All right, the next step is to mount the brooms. Make sure to get a firm grip and kick off gently. On three, I want you all to lightly take off. One…two…Hey!"

Poor Neville's nerves got the better of him. He kicked off violently and rose into the air like a rocket. He sat there shivering like a leaf as his broom rose higher and higher.

"Watch this! Malfoy grinned maliciously as he surreptitiously pulled out his wand, muttering under his breath.

The nervous boy let out a wail of terror as his broom took off like a shot, shooting at the school at lightning speed and hitting it head on. Neville's broom exploded into splinters and catapulted him through the air.

Gravity took hold one more as Neville tumbled downward, slamming into a ledge.

WHAM!

"UGH!"

Landed stomach first on a stone spout.

THWACK!

"GAH!"

And flipped of before finally getting his robes hung up on an open doorway, hanging him like a piece of fruit waiting to be plucked.

"Ohhhh…stop the world…I wanna get off…" Neville moaned.

"Maybe we should whack the lump like a piñata and see if any candy comes out!" Malfoy jeered.

"You will do no such thing! And ten points from Slytherin for even suggesting it!" Hooch spat as she stomped over to the Longbottom boy.

"Tsk, Tsk, broken ribs and a cracked wrist for sure. Let's get you to Madam Pomfrey. She'll fix you in no time." The flying instructor said softly as she pulled him down and levitated the unlucky boy inside.

"Did you see that bag of fat! He looked like he was going to wet himself when his broom took off!" a dark skinned student by the name of Blaise Zabini snickered.

"My finest work!" Malfoy preened.

"Look! It's that thing that Longbottom was playing with this morning!" Pansy snickered as she plucked a glowing glass orb from the glass.

"Give it here…well, well, well, this is icing on the cake! Let's see fatty remember where this is once I stick it in a tree!" the blond crowed as he snatched it out of Parkinson's hand.

"Give it here Malfoy…unless you want another beating!" Harry snarled.

"Your hot stuff on the ground, Potter, but let's see how good you are in the air!" Draco cackled as he mounted his broom and took off.

"You're not getting away that easily!" the three eyed boy bellowed as he snatched the broom out of Ron's hand and took off like a shot.

"Get him Harry!" the redhead yelled.

"No! You'll get us all in trouble!" Hermione wailed.

Harry ignored the yells as he pushed the school broom as hard and fast as he dared. It was almost instinctive, how Harry guided the broom until it was level with Malfoy's.

"What was that about me not be as hot in the air?" harry grinned wolfishly.

"How about a game of catch Potter!" Draco yelled as he tossed the rememberall with all his might. It sailed over Harry's head and plummeted toward the ground.

"Well, what are going to do, beat me? Or save the lump's toy?" the blond sneered.

Harry grimaced as he made his decision, he turned around and dove after the orb at breakneck speed. The distance between rememberall seemed to evaporate in the blink of an eye as harry dove after it.

Three hundred feet.

Two hundred and Fifty feet.

One Hundred feet.

Fifty feet.

Ten feet.

Five feet.

One foot.

SNATCH!

Harry let out a joyful whoop as he pulled out of the dive and rose into the air.

"HARRY POTTER!" Madam Hooch screeched as she stomped toward him.

"Oh bugger…" Harry gulped.

* * *

"So after all that McGonagall got you a spot on the Quidditch team? That's incredible! You must be the youngest player in who knows how long!" Ron gaped.

"A century actually. I don't know why everyone's making such a big deal. All I did was catch a ball…" Harry shrugged.

"Not a big deal? You caught that orb after a three hundred foot dive! That's something that most professionals can't do!" the redhead cackled.

"Not to mention get away with breaking the rules and getting rewarded to boot!" Hermione muttered sourly.

"Aw what do you know? Go back to your books!" Ron sneered.

Hermione huffed indignantly and stalked off.

"You know, you could be a little nicer to her. She was correct. It's not entirely right that I get rewarded for breaking the rules." Harry pointed out dryly.

"Punish you for what? Having the talent to do something no one else can?" Ron snorted.

"But I didn't…I mean…Oh never mind…" Harry muttered.

* * *

The next charms class was one that Harry had been looking forward to, since the previous class when tiny professor Flitwick told them that he would instruct the class in making objects levitate. This particular skill was something Harry had been interested in learning since Riddle's demonstration a month earlier.

Harry had been partnered with a boy named Semus Finnigan, which was a bit of a relief, since things between Ron and Hermione had been beyond strained since a few hours earlier. What made things even more unsettling was that the two were partnered together, much to their mutual disgust. They looked as if they were going to start cursing each other

"Now don't forget that the wand movement must be precise. Make sure to swish and flick. And also make sure to recite the proper incantation of _'wingardium leviosa'. _A single wrong pronunciation can wield disastrous results. A wizard in my class a decade ago substituted the s in _'leviosa'_ for and z, and found himself on the floor with a baby Erumpent sitting on his chest. The creature nearly destroyed my classroom before we captured it!" the charms professor chucked.

Harry swished and flicked his wand, and after a dozen tries, he finally managed to get his feather off the table.

The middle Elric glanced at his friends and saw that, much to his amusement, Ron hadn't quit mastered the art of swishing and flicking.

"No! No! **NO**! You're doing the wand movements all wrong! You're flapping your arms like an ostrich doing a mating dance, when you're supposed to be doing a gentle swish and flick. And you have to make the _gar_ nice and long on _wingardium_!" Hermione admonished.

"Well you do it if you're so clever!" Ron scowled.

"Fine…_wingardium leviosa!" _Hermione cast.

Ron's jaw dropped as the quill hovered and orbited his head gently.

"Well done Ms. Granger! I knew you could do it!" the Head of the Ravenclaw house cheered.

Ron looked like he wanted to kick something.

* * *

"ARGH! That busybodies little b****! I can't stand her! It's little wonder that know it all doesn't have any friends!" Ron raged after class.

Someone slammed into Harry and Ron, knocking them aside. It was Hermione, and from the look of the tears streaming down her face and the way she was trembling, she heard every word.

"Urm…you think she overheard me?" Ron asked weakly.

"I'd say she did. And on that note…"

GRIP!

"AGH! HEY! Leggo!" Red yelped as the three eyed boy grabbed him by the collar of his robes and frog marched him into an empty classroom.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

Taking you someplace where I can do this in private!" Harry growled.

'What?" Ron sputtered weakly.

POW!

Ron was knocked on his back when Harry's fist slammed into his face.

'OW! Thun of a thich! That hurt!" Ron yelped, clutching his nose.

"And it'll be the tip of the iceberg compared to what'll happen if you don't apologize. She's my friend too. And I have had it up to here with you two constantly sniping and needling at each other. You don't have to be friends. Hell…you don't even have to like each other. But this bickering stops tonight! Understood?" Harry spat.

"Understood!" Ron squeaked.

"Good. Now I'm going to class. We'll both find her tonight so you can apologize for your mouth." The middle Elric grunted as he stalked out of the classroom.

* * *

Ron stepped lightly around Harry for the rest of the day. Oddly enough, Hermione didn't show up for any classes. The mystery was solved after Herbology class when Paravati Patil said to one her flock of friends that she had heard Hermione crying her eyes out in the girls bathroom on the second floor. Harry glared daggers at Ron who looked sheepish and promised that he would find her and apologize as soon as the Halloween feast was over.

* * *

The decorations for the feast were unlike anything that Harry had ever seen. Hundred of levitating pumpkins glowed with everlasting candles. Live bats fluttered in huge flocks.

Despite the earlier Drama, Harry did enjoy himself. Over his time at Hogwarts, he developed quite a love for English food.

The feast was interrupted when timid professor Quirrel ran through the Great Hall, his turban cockeyed and his face pale with terror.

"TROLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS! Just though you should know." The defense professor whimpered.

WHUMP!

He dropped in a dead faint.

Pandemonium reigned as the terrified students ran pell-mell around the great hall.

"NOOOO!"

"MOMMY!"

"SAVE ME!"

"I DON'T WANNA DIE A VIRGIN!"

"ME EITHER, WANNA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT?"

"**SILENCE**!" Dumbledore bellowed, shooting sparks into the air with his wand.

"Given this development, would all perfects please guide the students to their respective houses. We, the faculty, will sort this situation. So remain calm and don't' stray from the group!" the headmaster instructed.

As the combined Ravenclaw and Gryffindor classes walked nervously down the hall, Harry came to a screeching halt as realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Hermione!" Harry gasped.

"What about her?" Ron blinked.

"The troll! She doesn't know about it!"

"Merlin, you're right!"

"We gotta go find her!"

"Yeah, but we better avoid the prefects and faculty on the way to the girls bathroom. The last thing I need is a howler from my mother…"

* * *

The two swiftly made their way up through the corridors of Hogwarts until they finally arrived at their destination, the second for girl's bathroom.

Harry cocked his head to the side when the sound of footprints reached his ears.

"Hide!" Harry hissed, grabbing the redhead and pulling him into a recess.

The source of the noise turned out to be none other than Professor Snape.

"What the hell is he doing here? That git's supposed to be in the dungeons looking for the troll!" Ron mumbled.

"What's more, he's heading for the third floor. And you know what's there…" the three eyed boy snorted.

Without warning, something else suddenly occupied the duo.

"URG! What a stench!" the redhead groaned, covering his nose.

Indeed, what hit the two students was the worst smell they had ever experienced. It seemed like a mix of old sweat socks, and a public toilet that hadn't been cleaned in a decade, mixed with essence of skunk.

"I don't know, but whatever it is…oh sweet alchemy! What is **that?" **Harry gaped.

"The troll the faculty is looking for…" Ron squeaked.

It had to have been at least fifteen feet tall. Its legs were stumpy and thickly muscled, as were the monster's arms. It carried a club longer than it was tall that dragged behind it since it's arms were too long to carry the weapon over its broad shoulders. The thing had a disproportionately tiny head compared to the rest of its massive body.

The troll looked dully around the corridor, its though process moving at a glacial pace. Finally, after more than thirty seconds, the creature lumbered into an open doorway.

"Lock it in! Lock it in!" Ron babbled as he fumbled to close the door and lock the troll inside.

"I got a better idea!" Harry grinned as he pushed Ron aside.

The three eyed boy clapped his hands together and pressed his palms onto the ancient wood.

_ZAAAAKKK!_

Tendrils of energy played over the door and the surrounding walls as the stone crept over the entrance, sealing the beast in.

"AIIEEEE" Someone screamed.

"Did that sound like a troll to you?" the middle Elric gulped.

"No…it sounded more like…"

"Hermione!" the two chorused as they realized what room they had sealed the troll into: the second floor girl's bathroom.

* * *

As soon as harry undid the transmutation, Ron threw the door opened and was greeted by a sight that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

The troll had Hermione by the neck, and pinned her against the wall. His club was poised to smash her delicate human skull to a pulp.

"Furrunculus!" Ron bellowed, shooting a grey stream of light at the troll. The spell struck the creature in the back, doing nothing more than attract its attention.

The giant monster dropped the sputtering wheezing girl to the ground and turned toward the two newcomers.

"Ron, Get Hermione and run. Get the professors. I'll try to hold this thing off as long as I can." Harry growled.

"But…" the redhead protested.

"**GO**!" the three eyed boy bellowed.

The middle Elric ran at the humongous creature. It let out a bellowing war cry as it slammed its club down on where he had been only seconds before. Harry leaped onto the club and ran up its length, he hastily transmuted the back of his automail hand into a short sword.

"Harry viciously jabbed his blade into the troll's eye.

"**URG-URG**-**UWOOOOOOAAARR**!" the monster howled, lashing out blindly with its club, taking chunks out of the wall and knocking off fixtures left and right. Its throes knocked Harry ass over teakettle and he was thrown from his perch on the beast's shoulders.

"ACK!" Harry yelped as he tumbled to the ground.

The troll grinned viciously as it pinpointed its preys location by its yelp of alarm. The monster lashed out with its free hand and grabbed the last potter by the ankle.

The troll leered through its one good eye and readied it's club to end the life of the boy who lived.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry bellowed.

The troll brought its hands down, only to realize that it was no longer holding its prized weapon.

The blunt object in question was floating scant inches behind the monster's skull.

The club wound up…

THOCK!

And slammed into the side of the Tolls skull, knocking it for a loop.

THUD!

As the toll fell, Harry dropped to the ground, panting and sputtering from exertion.

"Is…is it dead?" Hermione whispered.

"No…but we should remedy that…" Harry growled as he got to his feet and prepared to sink his sword into the troll's meaty throat.

"Mr. Potter!" A voice gasped.

Harry winced as he looked to his friends imploringly.

"Please tell me that was one of you doing a **really **good Professor McGonagall impression.

Hermione and Ron shook there heads weakly.

"Bugger…" the three eyed boy muttered turning to see Professors Snape and Quirrel accompanying her, with Dumbledore bringing up the rear.

"What were you thinking? Hunting down the troll on your own! This was undoubtedly the stupidest…most reckless…" the transfiguration professor sputtered.

"Hermione's life was in danger. What did you expect me to do." Harry said shortly.

"What?" McGonagall blinked.

"Hermione wasn't at the feast. We had a…bit of an argument this morning, and she was in the bathroom collecting herself. Considering she didn't know about the troll, and all of you professors were rushing off to hunt the thing rathter than take a head count to make sure all students were accounted for…"

McGonagall sputtered, her face turning red, "Don't you take that tone with me…" she growled.

"Minerva, please. He's right our duty is to the student's first and foremost. In our effort to keep the school safe, we neglected this. The headmaster said sadly, putting a placating hand on her shoulder.

"Very well, in that case, I think that a reduction of only five points should suffice…for bravery and sheer dumb…look out!"

"**URGAAAARRRR**!" the troll bellowed as it surged to its feet, grabbing Harry around the middle and bringing the boy to its foul mouth to bite him in half with its rotted teeth.

Harry desperately grabbed the monster by the jaws in an effort to stave off the reaper for a few precious seconds.

_"No! I won't go out like this! I can't go out like this! I have too much to live for! My brothers! My friends! My Family! I! Won't! Die! **YET!"**_

Harry's arm crackled with a familiar blinding energy. His glove and sleeve burst in a shower of cinders, as Scars tattoos stood out on shocking relief against the cold metal of Harry's arm. The bolts of killing energy ran along the Troll's body, tearing it apart from the inside out. It let out a pathetic final whimper as it tumbled backwards, crushing the few remaining stalls under its bulk.

The last thing Harry saw before he passed out was the teachers and his friends looking horrified, and the black markings of Scar's tattoos branded into his automail arm glowing faintly.

**"I know, I know and evil cliffhanger. Just think of it as an incentive to stick around for the next chapter!" I whisper from my hiding place in a high tree.**

**"There** **he is!" Minato Namikaze bellowed, firing up a Ransengan and slamming it into the tree.**

**"This is Sorakage Sama, signing off, hopefully not for the last time, and saying read, review, and check out my challenge!"**

**"Save a piece of him for me!" Hawkgirl scowled, hefting her mace.**

**"Don't forget about me!" Super girl spat.**

**"And me!" Ichigo Kurosaki grunted.**

**"Me too!" Nami hissed.**

**"Saotome final attack! RUN AWAY!" I screeched as I ran like the wind.**


	16. Chapter 14: Out of the Shadows

**"Ok, I'll be doing the opening today since our beloved author's brain has gone bye bye, now that he found that copy of Chrono Cross he was looking for." Zatanna said shortly, glaring at me.**

**"Yes! I found some iron! Now I can make better weapons!" I cheered.**

**"It looks it'll take awhile to get his brain working again."**

**"Die Beeba! And all your little friends too!" I spat.**

"**So, Sorakage Sama doesn't own this. All the elements belong to their creators."**

**"Darn you Lynx!" I bellowed.**

**"Excuse me..." Zatanna scowled.**

**WHACK!**

**A she grabbed a 2x4 and smacked me on the back of the skull, knocking me out cold.**

**"Much better!" the spell caster nodded.**

Chapter 14: Out of the Shadows

I still have one good arm, and I'll be getting a replacement soon enough to hit you with- Harry

It was the same dream again. Harry let out a pain filled moan as he laid in front of the gate of truth. It's blank faced guardian leering at him mockingly.

"Look at the _foolish _little boy, playing with forces he has no understanding of! So small, so fragile! What payment should I take for the oh-**so** wonderful gifts I am about to bestow!" the opaque man giggled.

"My…brothers…where are they?" the young boy whimpered.

"If you must know, Edward's within the confines of the gate having the knowledge of the universe stuffed into that fragile human brain. Hope it doesn't end up driving him mad!"

"You sonova…"

"Don't get worked up yet! I haven't gotten to the best part! You younger brother is to be the lion's share of the payment for your idiotic trespasses into Gods territory! As we speak, he's being reduced inch by slow inch into a disembodied soul!" truth tittered.

Harry surged to his feet and leaped at the leering phantasm. Only to fall ass over teakettle when he passed right through him.

"I control everything here! You have as much chance of even striking me as an ant has of lifting a mountain."

The transparent being seemed to listen for a moment, "Oh? Really? Hmmm…it seems you might get a slight reprieve. I was supposed to take all four of your limbs and most of your internal organs as payment, including that squishy lump of fat you call a brain. But a higher power has decreed that you have a pretty important destiny ahead of you. So I have to take less and give more. That's no fun. Oh well, I guess this is the end of our time together!"

Truth crouched mockingly in front of Harry and planted a chaste kiss on his forehead.

"Agh…gah…ah…AGHHHHHHAAAAAHHHH!" Harry let out a tortured scream as his mind felt like it was being ripped apart from the inside out. This torturous pain was accompanied by the agony of his arms dissolving into clouds of meat and bone.

"Try not to go insane, you hear!" the guardian waved.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The pain. Truth. Everything. The vary air itself seemed to freeze.

"I see. So you really have been through hell and back!" a familiar voice murmured.

"Riddle? That you?" Harry slurred.

"Yep. Now get up. We gotta have a little tete a tete." The older man nodded as he held his hand out to Harry.

The middle Elric accepted the proffered limb and got uneasily to his feet, feeling as if his legs turned to jelly.

"I hate that dream…I really do…" the three eyed boy muttered.

"So, two things: how much of this is your own self masochistic fantasy, and how much is memory. And when were you gonna tell me that you were a flippin' alchemist?' Riddle snorted, slapping his protégé on the back of the head.

'OW! I was kind of hoping it wouldn't come up! I'm not just an alchemist you know! I'm a bloody state alchemist! I'm under orders from _Fuhrer King Bradley!_ The head of my nations military, and the commanding officer of my commanding officer's commanding officer! He told me to keep this a secret or head would roll, and I don't mean the one on my shoulders!" the last Potter spat.

"Ow. He sounds like the kind of guy you want to listen to!" Riddle winced.

"Your damn right I better listen to him. Now why are you here?"

"What was I supposed to do? Your spirit lit up like a beacon for a few seconds and then you passed out. I came to check out what happened when I found you in the middle of an uber S&M session with Casper, over there!" Tom snorted, jerking his thumb at Truth.

"Ah, and as for your second question…my brothers and I messed with human alchemy a few years ago. It backfired on us and we got shunted to this place. That truth guy played with my head, took my arms away and implanted this into my forehead." Harry growled, popping his third eye open.

"Urg, freaky. Well I guess this means that now that I know about the full extent of your abilities, I can kick your training up a notch or ten. We'll be meting every other night. I'll be working you into the ground." The spirit leered evilly.

"Oh joy!"

"Time to wake up!"

Harry lay still as the sensation changed from the dream world to the sensation of soft sheets and bedding underneath him.

"Ow! Remind me not to do whatever it is I did again!" Harry grimaced as the lingering soreness assaulted him.

"I won't allow it, do you understand Albus? I may allow you to do many things, but I will not permit you to interfere with my patient's health!" Madam Pomfery thundered.

"Please, I need to know the source of this killing ability and why his limbs are machines! If he's a danger to the students, steps must be taken! Don't you understand? It's for the greater good! All I need is a small Legilimency scan. If the boy is some sort of danger to himself or others, he must be moved to a safer location!"

"And if he doesn't wish to leave? You know what Hagrid said about his reaction to the mere suggestion of moving him away from his brothers."

"Sometimes, it is more important for a person to be safe than to be happy! Will you at least allow me to give him a few potions to make him more malleable? Severus assured me they are quite safe." the ancient man said shortly.

"Once again no! A million times **no!** I won't allow you to expose my patient to those potions any more than I'll allow you to scan his mind! Now get **out, _out_, _out!_** The matronly woman roared, sending the headmaster tumbling out of her office, spells flying.

Harry flopped back into bed, and closed his eyes.

"Humph! That woman just can't see that what I do is for the greater good!" Dumbledore sputtered, stalking off.

Harry felt like a block of ice settled in his stomach as he stewed over what he had just heard:

First off, Dumbledore wasn't to be trusted. The old goat wanted him under his thumb, and thought beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was important enough to manipulate.

In addition, he was probably the source of the fake key fiasco earlier that year. Which meant he was powerful enough to pull things off that others couldn't. And subtle enough to try things behind the scenes.

_"So all this adds up to me being in a tight spot. I've got my back to the wall with nowhere to go. Well, I guess I'll just have to teach these backwards hicks that a cornered animal is the most dangerous kind!"_ Harry thought as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Harry was in a daze the next day after he was let out of the hospital wing. Simply too much had happened in too short a time, and his mind was having a difficult time processing it all. First Scar's tattoo appearing on his arm, Dumbledore being the puppet master intent on making the boy who lived do what they wanted, and who knows what else.

Harry sat by the fire and put his head in his hands. His thought were interrupted by his bushy haired friend and Ron who pulled up a pair of arm chairs across from him.

"Talk." Ron said shortly.

"Please?" Hermione asked, shooting the redhead a pointed look.

Harry sighed, "I guess I owe you guys that much. But I have one thing to ask first. I want the both of you to give me a magical vow not to reveal any of what I'm about to tell you."

"Is that really necessary?" Ron blinked.

"Very. If this get's out, I'll die a very painful death."

"Your serious?" Hermione gawked.

"Deadly serious!" Harry nodded.

Hermione and Ron looked each other in the eye and nodded.

"I, Hermione Jane Granger, vow on my life and my Magic that I will not reveal anything that you tell me and that your secrets will remain with me to my grave. So mote it be."

"I, Ronald Billus Weasley, vow on my life and my Magic that I won't reveal anything that you tell me and that your secrets will remain with me to my grave. So mote it be."

A crack of magic signified the completion of the vow.

Nodding his thanks, he gestured for the redheads and the brunette to follow him.

Soon, the trio was situated behind the curtains of Harry's four poster bed with the curtains drawn. Hermione whipped out her wand and sealed the area with an intricate series of privacy and silencing charms.

"I guess my story began bout three years ago when I was eight. I had never known my family and had found out that I had some talent with my native country's chief science, Alchemy…"

* * *

Several hours later…

"And so when the troll grabbed me, my third eye somehow reacted on its own and branded Scar's alchemical tattoos into my automail. The blasted thing has been messing with my concentration and alchemy skills because it goes off at odd moments. I tried a couple of hours ago to transmute a piece of wood into a small figurine, and this brand flared up and made me blow it to ashes! And when I tried to do a one handed stand, it flared up again and blew a crater underneath me!" the three eyed boy growled.

"Wow…just…wow! I thought stuff like that only happened in comics!" Ron gawked.

Hermione had tears in her eyes. "I-I can't believe that you'd go through so much to help your brothers! And you took on a troll single handedly to same me! I owe you I dept that I don't think I can ever repay!" the bushy haired girl sobbed.

"Hey you guys are my friends. I didn't do that because I wanted you to owe me. I did it because I value you both as some of the few precious people I have. And trust me when I say that list is very short." Harry nodded.

"Just out of curiosity, what are you going to do about your arm?" The youngest Weasley male asked.

"Dunno. I…guess that the only thing I can do is try to transmute the markings off my arm." Harry shrugged, absently clapping his hands together and touched his marked arm.

_ZZZ-AAA-AAA-AAA-KKK!_

_CRACK!_

The trio watched in dismay as the outer covering of Harry's arm disintegrated into a fine powder and the inner workings fell apart at the seams.

Crack!

Plink!

Tinkle!

Tinkle!

"Damn…" Ron muttered, eyeing the pile of scrap dubiously.

"Well…that didn't work." Hermione blinked.

"Ok…time to try plan b…" Harry sighed.

"What's plan b?" Ron asked.

Plan B, as it turned out, was a little more convoluted than plan A.

The trio gathered all the stray components and placed them on a complex transmutation circle.

"I transmute these scraps into the shape of an arm and attach it to mu shoulder. Then I use a liberal dose of that color changing spell to make it look like an arm. I'll just tell everybody that my limb was hurt in such a way that I have to let it heal without magic..." the evil eye alchemist nodded.

_ZAAAAAK!_

"Cultum abeo!" Ron chanted as soon as the arm formed.

"WAIT!" Harry yelled

WHABOOM!

The trio were blown out of the four poster bed as the artificial arm exploded in a shower of scrap metal.

"I was going to say that casting spells on newly transmuted objects is a bad idea because the two energies tend to mix like nitro glycerin and a paint mixer!" harry barked, eyeing the scattered chunks of metal embedded in the walls.

"Looks like you have no choice but to send a letter to that Winry woman and hope she's good enough to whip up and arm without you there…" Ron said weakly.

"Your right. I just know she's gonna bean me with her wrench again one she hears about this story…." Harry muttered.

A short while later in Dumbledore's office.

"I'm glad that you asked to meet with me. I can only assume that you both managed to pry the necessary information out of Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore smile benevolently.

"I could tell you that Professor Dumbledore, but I won't." Hermione said flatly, not meeting his eyes.

"Me neither." Ron snorted.

"Excuse me?" the headmaster frowned.

"I realized something tonight. Harry is the type of person who would go to any lengths to save his friends. Ron and I are two of the people on a very short list of those Harry considers to be important to him." Hermione said flatly.

"And we both gave him vows not to reveal anything about him. I don't care what reason you have for asking us to spy on Harry, but it won't be enough to make me be your man anymore. I'm through with being your lackey headmaster."

"Do you both realize what you're giving up? Power and privilege! You were both to become prefects, head boy and head girl! You were to get the house quidditch captain's position when you were old enough Ron! Is the friendship of one secretive little boy worth all that?" the headmaster thundered.

"Frankly headmaster, yes it is!" Hermione said coldly.

"You can take your head boy position and….MPH!" Ron grunted as his female friend slapped her hand over his mouth.

"We'll be going now headmaster." The brunette nodded.

Dumbledore bit back a growl of frustration, "Don't the both of you realize this is for the greater good? Do you both not care about the fate of the wizarding world?" the old man roared.

"Frankly headmaster, no." Ron spat.

"And especially if it means stabbing one of the few friends I have in this world in the back!" the intelligent brunette sniffed.

Dumbledore scowled as the two students walked away.

_"I'm losing pawns left and right! Harry slipped through my fingers before I could ever take him under my wing, and now Ron and Hermione have walked away from me! Madam Pomfrey was disinclined to allow me to dose the child to make him more malleable. The wizarding world will crumble unless I do something to bring those three back into the fold! And no one seems to care!"_ the silver haired man mentally ranted.

Dumbledore took a deep breath and eyed the pair of crystal vials containing a nearly transparent potion.

_"If I can't bind them to me willingly, than I must do so indirectly. Yes, she will do quite nicely! Sometimes the best planes are the ones intended for long term benefits."_ the old man nodded, looking at next year's roster of first year students.

* * *

The next day, Harry eyed the messenger owl warily as he untied Winry's reply

_Dear Harry_

_WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WRECKED ANOTHER AUTOMAIL?_

_Do you have any idea how much time and effort it took me to make that delicate piece of machinery? You go through limbs faster than Ed! I hate to tell you this, but without you here to provide measurements, I'll have to guesstimate. So the replacement arm will take a minimum of several weeks to craft. Maybe this will teach you to be more careful with the stuff I make!_

_With Love_

_Winry._

BANG!

Harry slammed his head into the table.

"Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to get up in the morning…" the middle Elric muttered under his breath.

* * *

The next month passed with agonizing slowness. Every missive sent to the Rockbell's came back with the same reply:_ Badgering me won't make this go any faster, so let me do my job!_

Naturally, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, a diminutive fifth year girl by the name of Sora Hecate, wasn't sure if she should have been furious or proud about her new seekers handicap and the story behind it. Harry assured his fellow ravenclaw that he was capable of playing one handed, and that his leg strength was more than enough to keep him mounted on the broom. While the team captain was more than a little reluctant, there was no way to get the reserve seeker ready in time for the match. So they had to make due with what they had.

* * *

More time passed, and a week and a half later, harry's first Quidditch game versus the Hufflepuff team was soon to start.

Ron and Hermione sat in the top row along with several other students from various other houses who supported the Ravenclaw team. One of the more artistically talented drew a Ravenclaw Eagle on a ruined bed sheet that Ron's pet rat Scabbers chewed a hole in. Hermione contributed a complicated spell that made the avian fly around the banner

Harry fidgeted nervously as the captain made her opening speech.

"All right ladies and gents…this is it…"

"The big one!"Chang chirped, ignoring her captain's evil look.

"As I was saying before the peanut gallery butted in! This is it, our big chance, we had some problems with injuries over the past couple of years. So we've done some rearranging of positions this year."

"We know Hecate, we know! Chang got the chaser position after Herington graduated last year. And we have a whole new set of beaters because the ones we signed on last year's sucked big time. We can't forget our new prodigy seeker, young Mr. Harry, one arm, Potter!" Roger Davis snickered.

"Oi! Watch your mouth Davis! I still have one good arm, and I'll be getting a replacement soon enough to hit you with!" Harry barked.

"Enough with the chatter team! We have a game to win. Now huddle up!

The entire team gathered in a circle, touching hands, "1…2…3…RAVENCLAW!" they chanted.

* * *

It seemed like seconds later to Harry, but in reality it was more like a half an hour. The teams were gathered in formation on the Quidditch pitch. Madam Hooch was the acting referee and eyed both team captains.

"Now I want a clean game! If any of you decide to foul one another on my watch, then you will pay for it. Not get up in the air!" she barked.

The teams mounted their brooms and slowly rose beyond the ground, beyond the stands. Until everything below them was like specs of dust.

Hooch stood between the two opposing groups of chasers and tossed the ball. Things passed like a blur as the two sides wrestled for the quaffle. Harry occasionally heard a comment by the commentator, an older Gryffindor by the name of Lee Jordan.

_"And Chang passes to Davis! And David feints and passes back to Chang! And might I mention if she's listening, that she is easily the loveliest member of either team…and that I'm available! ACK!"_

WHABOOM

Jordan ducked as a bludger shot into the commentator booth and nearly took his head off.

"Same to you Stretton!" Lee jeered.

"Jordan! Keep your mind on the commentary and off of the female players!" McGonagall snapped.

"Of course Professor McG!" Jordan saluted mockingly.

"And the Hufflepuff team steals the ball! And there making a break for it…Merlin on a bike! The beaters send both bludgers special delivery and scatter the opposing chasers like frightened birds!

Harry frantically searched for the snitch. His eyes widened when he spotted it on the opposite end of the field. The three eyed boy urged his Nimbus 2000 to move as fat as he dared with one arm.

Halfway across the field, Harry's broom ground to a halt. The boy who lived tried to urge his wayward artifact forward, only for the broom to jerk violently. The thing wiggled and bucked wildly as Harry desperately tried to cling to the broom with one hand and his legs.

"What is he doing? Hermione gaped as Harry froze in place and jerked from side to side.

Without warning, the Nimbus gave a wild jerk and flipped Harry off, forcing the boy to cling to it with only one hand.

Ron nabbed a nearby pair of omninoculars form a protesting student and looked around the crowd.

"Mione! You won't believe this!" he gawked, handing the artifact to his female friend.

Hermione looked into the device and blinked in surprise. To her shock, both Snape and Quirrel were staring at Harry chanting under their breath.

"What are they doing? Are they both hexing the broom or is one of them helping?" the bushy haired girl gawked.

"We don't have time to find out! We'll have to take them both out of the picture! Come on!" Ron barked.

Moments later, the duo was on the opposite side of the field, right behind Snape.

"Inflamare!" Hermione whispered, shooting a ket of blue flames at the edge of the potions professors robes..

Snape stopped chanting the moment he smelled smoke.

"AGH! Bloody hell!" He bellowed, slapping at his smoldering clothes. He toppled over in a charred heap and knocked down half a dozen people, including Quirrel.

* * *

Harry managed to angle his broom toward the ground . The moment he touched the ground, he felt a block in his throat and began hacking a coughing. Davis grabbed him from behind and squeezed. One Heimlich maneuver later, Harry hack up a small golden ball. He caught the snitch.

"Um…I was supposed to catch this right?" Harry yelled at the referee, holding the soggy golden trinket.

"Why yes, you were." she replied weakly.

And so Harry went in the record book as the only seeker in history to catch the snitch in his mouth.

Later that night…

"So Quirrel **and **Snapewere hexing my broom?" Harry gawked as Hermione helped him adjust his new arm that had arrived only minutes ago.

"Yes, they were both staring at you and chanting under their breath. Wandless magic of that kind takes much longer to cast because of the power needed. There's no way to know if they were working together or if one was trying to save you." Hermione replied.

"Hump…first the manipulative headmaster and now a murderous professors. I'm starting to winder why I came here again…" the three eyed boy spat, flexing his new fingers. Guess I'll have to remember to watch my back, even around the professors." he muttered.

"Oh! I almsot forgot! I got another clue to what might be under the trap door!" Ron piped up for the first time.

"Really? Do tell!" Harry nodded.

"I heard Hagrid muttering that Someone named Nicholas Flamel would be peeved if his lifes work was destroyed on Dumbledore's watch!" the redhead added.

"Well, well! Isn't that interesting!" Hermione nodded, making a note to research that name later.

**You know the drill. read, review, and check out the challenge on my author profile page.**


	17. Chapter 15: I'll be home for Christmas

**"Another chapter said and done. Man this one gave me a boat load of trouble. And I'm still not sure if I got it right." I muttered under my breath**

**"Seems fine** **to me..." Zatanna commented looking over my shoulder.**

**"Thanks..." I nodded gratefully.**

**"Of course...I wouldn't know good fanfiction if it bit me in my well toned, leotard clad butt." she shrugged.**

**"You just had to ruin the moment, didn't you? Could you give the disclaimer please" I snorted. **

**"Sorakage Sama doesn't own any of the elements of this story. If he did he'd be jetting off to the sunny south instead of watching the rain pour for the fourth day in a row."**

**"At the rate this weather is going, our state flower's gonna be changed to mildew soon!" I grunted.**

Chapter 15: I'll be home for Christmas

Are you a man or a mouse?-Winry

Harry tried vainly to listen to Quirrel's lecture the next day. But it proved more and more difficult as time went on

_"This is beyond messed up. Are both Snape **and** Quirrel trying to kill me? I wouldn't put it past that greasy haired slime ball to be an agent of Voldemort, but Quirrel? The guy has as much backbone as a tree slug!"_ the three eyed boy thought as he eyed the defense professor. The man was telling the tale of how he routed a vampire infestation in Rome. When one of his students asked for detail, he immediately turned the conversation to the weather.

_"Yeah, that guy's **real** evil doer material!" _the middle Elric snorted under his breath.

Thankfully, Harry's mind turned to other things, like his conversation with Madam Pomfrey a few hours earlier.

* * *

_"And why did you feel it was so necessary to speak with me?" __the matronly woman asked._

_"Because of several reasons. First, There weren't any silencing wards around my bed when you and Dumbledore conversed within hearing distance of my bed. You were arguing about giving me potions to make me more 'malleable', and not only using Legilimency on me, but kidnap me as well if I posed enough of a threat to be removed. Yet no one thought about putting up a silencing spell or something so no one, including me, if I happened to wake up, would hear what you were saying? I know you're not that absent minded. So why did you allow me to hear that?" the middle Elric asked._

_The nurse sighed, "Because I disagree with what Dumbledore has planned. He intends to take you under his wing and turn you into the perfect weapon. You are to become his tool to be discarded as soon as you are no longer useful. What the headmaster doesn't realize, is that you are a person, and have limits like everybody else. I know that you have the potential to make Voldemort look like a five year old if you are pushed beyond those limits." __The nurse snorted._

_"At least **you're** honest about it." __Harry grunted._

_"And I disagree with his plans, how you go about your life is your business and yours alone. He intends to decide every aspect of your life. I took a vow to look after the students of this school, and I my conscience won't allow me to let him play the puppet master…"_

_"Hmmm it seems that we both have similar goals in mind. Maybe a you scratch my back… I'll scratch your type of alliance is called for?" _Harry proposed.

_"I'm listening…" the school nurse nodded._

_And so an alliance was born…_

* * *

Soon came Christmas break. This was something that Harry was looking forward to more than anything, simply because it meant that he would get to see his family for the first time in months.

The morning dawned bright and clear, a fresh blanket of snow enfolded the grounds like a warm comforter.

Harry walked down to breakfast with a smile on his face. For the first time since the quidditch game, all the uncertainty and angst seemed to have flowed away.

"Hey Potter! You gonna enjoy Christmas at the caste since you don't have any family? I mean, who would want a piece of filth like you?" Malfoy jeered

Harry grinned hugely…"Snerk…Heh…HA! HA! HA!" harry laughed madly.

"What's so funny? The blond sputtered.

"For one thing, I **do** have a family, numb nuts! I have two brothers, a sister, and a woman who's like a grandma to me to be exact. We may not be related by blood, but they're closer to me that you're family is to you! So watch what you say, ferret!"" Harry snickered

Malfoy turned red and went for his wand, only for a hand to grab his wrist. It was Daphne Greengrass.

"I wouldn't if I were you. The last time you traded spell with Potter, they had to scrape what was left of you off the floor…" the dark haired girl warned him.

"Whatever…he's not worth my time. He's just another piece of mudblood filth." The blond sneered.

* * *

The train ride went by without incident (that is if you don't count the game of exploding snap that ended up with Ron getting his eyebrows singed off).

Soon, everyone was disembarking, families were reunited for the first time in months. Everywhere Harry looked there was jubilation and joy as families were joined.

"Harry!"

"Big brother Harry!"

WHUMP!

The three eyed boy jolted as he was knocked off his feet by a diminutive blond and a hulking suit of armor.

"Ed! Alphonse! What are you two trouble makers doing here?" the middle brother cackled.

"What do you think we're doing here? We came to see you!" Ed snorted.

Mustang managed to get a hold of a two way portkey so we could be here to say hi!" Al chirped.

"Harry, who are these?" someone behind Harry asked.

The three eyed boy shoved Al off and gestured to each of his friends in turn, "Hermione, Ron, there are my brothers, Ed and Al. Ed and Al, these are my friends Hermione and Ron."

"Pleased to meet you! Now I have just one question…what are your intentions toward my little brother? Because if you intend to break his heart, I won't stand for it!" Ed proclaimed grandly, much to Hermione's embarrassment.

POW!

Harry's fist slammed into the back of his big brothers head, knocking him to the ground.

"NUMBSKULL! She's a friend and that's it! This is why I can't get a girlfriend, because you pull stunts like this!" Harry sputtered indignantly, yanking Ed up by the front of his coat and shaking him.

"Don't mind them, they act like this all the time!" Al chuckled weakly.

* * *

_"Stupid rock headed big brothers…can't keep their noses out of my business…."_ Harry muttered under his breath even as the Portkey deposited the trio in front of the Rockbell home..

"Get over yourself Harry and tell me what's been happening in the land of magical academia!" Ed smirked.

Harry's response was a single upraised finger.

"What crawled up his butt?" Ed blinked.

* * *

It was later that night that Harry was stripped from the waste up and placed on the examination table. Winry had insisted on checking his new automail for any problems. All the while Harry was chattering away about his school adventures.

"And so I managed to angle the broom with one hand back toward the ground. As soon as my feet touched the dirt, I suddenly started choking. I had no idea what was wrong, I just started hacking and coughing. One of my teammates grabbed my from behind and performed the Heimlich maneuver, and the snitch pops out of my mouth!" the middle Elric snickered.

"You have **got** to be kidding me! You caught the thing in your mouth?" the blond gawked.

"Yep. Apparently I went on record as the only person in the history of the game to manage it. I heard a few weeks later some knucklehead in the pro league tried to do the same thing. All he managed to do was break his nose!"

"That's classic!" Winry giggled.

"You know, it really is good to be home. I've seen a lot of new things these first few months that I was there. But I'll take alchemy over magic any day of the week!"

"Glad you feel that way little bro. Now do me a favor and try to rotate your arm." The mechanic instructed.

Harry twisted his arm in every direction that he could.

"Honestly, if I had a choice in the matter… I'm not sure if I would go back. I made a few friends. But I don't know if that's enough to put my life on the line like this. I've got two of the professors gunning for me, a headmaster who wants me to be his personal weapon, a corridor with a murderous three headed dog. It's so tempting just to not go back." The three eyed boy muttered.

THOCK!

"OW! What the hell?" Harry yelped, rubbing the bump on the back of his head where Winry's wrench connected with his skull.

"Are you a man or a mouse?" she snorted.

"Technically, I'm a young boy. I'm not a man yet."

"Quit quibbling over semantics! I've never known you to be the type to give up in the face of a challenge. Are you going to run away with your tail between your legs like a scared puppy?" the blond spat.

"You know, you're right. I never run away. I've faced a lot worse than a bunch of backward wizards with a complex. Thanks for the advice Winry."

"No problem little bro. Now I have one last thing to tell you."

"Yes?"

"Ruin another piece of my automail again and I'll rearrange your internal organs with the bluntest instrument I can find." The blond girl said with a sweet grin.

* * *

It was a few days later that Harry was wandering the hills and fields of Resembool. After catching up with a few old acquaintances, he was gamboling down an ill used dirt path that ran by the gardens of one of the more cantankerous farmers.

As he passed by an abandoned field, he did a double take. Harry rubbed his eyes (all three of them). But the mansion was still there, situated in the middle of clover fields.

"Good evening kizuato kun." A melodious voice said.

Harry jumped and whirled around, to find that standing behind him was none other than Ichihara Yūko, a lovely and exotic as ever. She was clad in a sky blue kimono patterned with white swirls, a red obi was tied around her waist and carried easily over her shoulder was a traditional bamboo umbrella. Her small geta shod feet peeked out from under the hem of her robe.

"I'd say that I'm surprised to see you, but that would be a lie. I knew on some level that we would meet again." Harry nodded, smiling slightly.

"Won't you come in? Maru-dashi and Moro-dashi will have prepared dinner by now?"

"I think I'd like that." Harry nodded approvingly.

* * *

"I imagine that you had in interesting year?" Yūko murmured softly.

"There's an understatement if there ever was one." The muddle Elric chuckled as he nibbled on his roast.

"And I imagine that you have seen quite a few things that make my previous statement seem more real."

"Oh yeah. That Mr. Potter thing as well as there being more to the world than an alchemy text is a lesson I learned very quickly.

"I also see that you exercised one of your more interesting skills. Gaining friends and allies that are loyal. Three in particular come to mind."

"I guess the first is Pomfery, but who are the other two."

"A certain brunette scholar and redheaded knight. They defied the chess master and proclaimed their loyalty to you and you alone." Yūko smiled, lacing her fingers together.

"Erm what do you mean?" Harry blinked.

"Look and see." The exotic woman smiled, pulling a small crystal ball out of her sleeve and waving her slender fingers over it. The orb filled with silvery smoke, as the vapor faded, the image of the head master's office faded into view. Hermione and Ron sat in front of the headmaster with blank expressions on their faces.

_"I'm glad that you asked to meet with me. I can only assume that you both managed to pry the necessary information out of Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore smile benevolently._

_"I could tell you that Professor Dumbledore, but I won't." Hermione said flatly, not meeting his eyes._

_"Me neither." Ron snorted._

_"Excuse me?" the headmaster frowned._

_"I realized something tonight. Harry is the type of person who would go to any lengths to save his friends. Ron and I are two of the people on a very short list of those Harry considers to be important to him." Hermione said flatly._

_"And we both gave him vows not to reveal anything about him. I don't care what reason you have for asking us to spy on Harry, but it won't be enough to make me be your spy anymore. I'm through with being your lackey headmaster."_

_"Do you both realize what you're giving up? Power and privilege! You were both to become prefects, head boy and head girl! You were to get the house quidditch captain's position when you were old enough Ron! Is the friendship of one secretive little boy worth all that?" the headmaster thundered._

_"Frankly headmaster, yes it is!" Hermione said coldly. _

_"You can take your head boy position and….MPH!" Ron grunted as his female friend slapped her hand over his mouth._

_"We'll be going now headmaster." The brunette nodded._

_Dumbledore bit back a growl of frustration, "Don't the both of you realize this is for the greater good? Do you both not care about the fate of the wizarding world?" the old man roared._

_"Frankly headmaster, no." Ron spat._

_"And especially if it means stabbing one of the few friends I have in this world in the back!" the intelligent brunette sniffed._

_Dumbledore scowled as the two students walked away._

"So they openly defied Dumbledore. They were originally his pawns, but gave up the power and prestige they were promised…all for me?" Harry gaped faintly.

"Indeed. Hitsuzen proclaimed they you would find several fair weather friends. Some will remain with you throughout your journey, some will leave. You will need to rely on your natural abilities and charisma to get you through the years. If you do, you will find that nothing is beyond you." The exotic woman proclaimed.

Harry smiled, suddenly, everything seemed a little brighter.

* * *

Meanwhile, in central City…

Lust padded quietly through the stacks of the Central Library, her goal was somewhere within these walls. It was ridiculously easy to extract the location of Marcoh's research notes. All she had to do was threaten to wipe that inconsequential little village off the face of the world, and he sang like the proverbial canary.

Gluttony loped easily alongside her, sniffing the air for any stragglers who might have been there after hours.

Suddenly, the Homunculi of over eating stiffened, sticking his nose in the air and taking a long whiff.

"What do you smell Gluttony?" Lust whispered.

"It's…it's…" the pudgy one whispered.

"That would be me." A voice purred.

The homunculi of desire stiffened and whirled around. Behind her was a slightly shorter form clad in a long brown cloak and a near identical clone of gluttony.

The female flipped the cloak of her hood down, revealing a face that was every bit as lovely as Lust's. The major difference between them was that the doppelganger's face was much paler, and her cheeks had a slight amount of baby fat, her hair was black and curly, reaching down to the small of her back.

"You! What are you doing here?" the redhead spat, glaring at the cloaked woman with ill disguised hatred.

"I'm here for the same reason as you. I'm want the philosopher stone notes. But unlike you peons, we plan to use them. For what, you'll have to wait until mother lets the world know of her power." The pseudo lust grinned.

"Arrogant dog! You have no idea what forces you're playing with. And that bitch of a mother of yours will learn soon enough of the consequences of defying her betters."

Meanwhile, the two Gluttons were eying at each other mindlessly, their big, milky eyes locked, and their constantly salivating mouths open and ready to bite into their counterparts.

At once, they both asked, "Lust, Can I eat him?"

The two dueling fem fatals stopped trading verbal barbs for a few moments, staring down at their respective partner's.

"I don't know Gluttony," they said simultaneously, "He might try to eat you back."

They blinked, before they went back to their staring contest.

"I take it you're not going to let us walk away?" the clone asked.

"Not a chance in hell!" Lust spat, extending her finger lances.

"I was afraid of that…" the dark haired woman sniffed, extending her own fingers.

* * *

A half hour later, Lust stood on a rooftop across from the central library, which was up in flames. The battle had been short. The Lusts had been too evenly matched to bring an end to the contest.

The redhead's dress was slashed to pieces, barely holding together under the force of gravity.

The story was same with the gluttons. The two consumers had been embroiled in a whirling ball of teeth and thrashing limbs. Both had taken massive bites out of each other, only for the damage to regenerate just as quickly.

"We might not have won…but we didn't lose either." Gluttony said conversationally.

"We had better report this development to father. He'll want to know that those fakes have resurfaced." The redhead snorted sourly.

**You know the drill: read, review, and check out the challenge on my profile page. **


	18. Chapter 16: Of Dragons and Darkness

**First off, I'd like to say that I'm sorry for the long wait in between chapters. I had zero inspiration for this for the longest time. Everything I came up with was far too much like cannon for my liking. After three weeks of worth and more rewrites than you can shake a wand at, here's the latest chapter of the Evil Eye Alchemist. Enjoy!**

Chapter 16: Of Dragon's and Darkness

Several weeks had passed since Harry returned from Christmas break. Ed had finally healed after his six month convalescence, with resulted in Winry attaching her latest model of Automail to the oldest brother enabling him to repair Al at long last. The oldest and youngest sibling left the Rockbell's after a hasty goodbye, promising to meet the middle brother in Central city at the end of the school year to decipher Marcoh's research notes, which the note in Ed's pocket hinted was at the Central library.

The first quidditch game of the season ended in a spectacular fashion. The Ravenclaw vs. Slythering match ended three hundred points to two hundred and eighty for Ravenclaw, the only reason the margin was so narrow was that professor Snape stuck his nose into quidditch business by insisting to be the referee. He gave the Slytherin's so many unfair penalty throws (which were given due to things like 'breathing to hard' or hitting a bludger at the opposing team). The reason it ended was because one of the more enterprising Ravenclaw beaters nailed the 'Referee' in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. So a substitute had to be brought in who judged the match much more fairly.

A month and a half later...

At Harry's request, the three were gathered in a distant corner of the library…

"First off I'd like to say I'm surprised, I greatly underestimated you both." Harry said softly.

"Erm, not that I'm adverse to flattery , but what did we do?" Hermione blinked.

"I had an interesting conversation with an equally interesting woman. She showed me a certain meeting between you two and Dumbledore.

The color drained from Ron's face, "It's not what you think!" he gasped.

"So you two didn't turn down prestige and power all for me?" Harry blinked.

"Ok…maybe it is." Hermione blushed.

"I just wanted to say thanks. You two stood up to the headmaster when he offered you so much…all for me."

"Harry, you're our friend, I'd like to think that we'd both be willing to repay the kindness and trust you showed us." Ron smirked.

CLUNK!

"YEOWCH!" The redhead yelped. Someone had been puttering around in the shelves behind the trio, and accidentally knocked a large tome over and directly onto Ron's head.

Hermione sweatdropped. Her eyes widened when she poked at the slight protrusion on the side of her head.

"Don't pick at it!" Harry hissed, pushing her hands away.

"Sorry 'bout that." Hagrid muttered sheepishly, peering around the stack.

"You didn't strike me as the literary type…" Hermione blinked.

"Erm, well, I'm not. I jes' needed a book. And this is tha place to find one…" the groundskeeper muttered evasively.

"On what?" the redhead grumbled, rubbing the growing welt on his head.

"Oh all right, it a little dated, bu' the books got all the facts I need!" Hagrid said proudly, displaying the tome entitled _'A dragon keepers guide: all that you need to know about handling_ _Dragon's of Great Britain and_ _Ireland.'_

"I got a baaaaad feeling about this!" Harry muttered as the large man happily walked away.

* * *

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Harry rapped his knuckled against the Rough Wood of Hagrid's front door.

"AH! Come in! Come on in! I was kina happy when you wrote that yeh wanted to talk teh me. I baked up a fresh batch of Rock cakes for yeh!" The bearded man grinned jovially.

"That certainly was nice of you!" Harry winced as he, Ron, and Hermione were ushered inside.

Hagrid had a massive fire roaring in the fireplace, the windows were all closed and the heavy curtains were drawn, making the one room hut more than a little stifling.

"Can we open the window? It's boiling in here?" Hermione panted, fanning herself.

"I dinna think that's a good idea…" Hagrid winced.

"What that?" Ron asked, peering into the fire where a black spherical object rested among the blazing logs.

"Oh, that's an egg I won in a card game. I've been reading about hot to raise 'em. Keep the egg in the fire, 'cause their mothers breath on 'em, and when it hatches I feed the 'ikkle tyke a bucket of brandy every half 'our. I know what I'm doin'!" the grounds keeper proclaimed.

"Hagrid, you live in a WOODEN house!" Hermione sputtered.

But the adult ignored them, occupying himself with stoking the fire.

* * *

Later that night, Harry Hermione and Ron were gathered round the fire in the Gryffindor common room.

"What are we going to do? Hagrid insists on hatching that Dragon on his own, in a wooden hut, on a grassy field, bordering a dense woods. If we let him keep that egg, the whole school could go up in smoke!" Hermione groaned.

"I know, I know! That doesn't change the fact that we can't do anything about it. If we go to Dumbledore, he'll have to go to the ministry and Hagrid will get into trouble." Ron snorted.

"I have a sort of solution…" Harry winced.

* * *

"This is the stupidest idea I've ever participated in!" Hermione groaned as she and her friends crept along the ground in the dead of night.

"Well we can't let him keep it! I contacted my Brother Charlie, the Dragon Breeder, and told him about the situation. He can be here in a few days to pick up the egg. Until then we can use that bluebell flame charm Hermione found to keep the egg warm." Ron suggested.

"And if it hatches? What are we going to do then? We can't keep the bloody thing in our dorm rooms!" the brunette hissed.

"We'll figure something out!" the redhead insisted as they neared the front door for the second time that day.

"What about Fang?" Hermione insisted.

"I got that covered." Ron smirked as he hefted the large Rib eye steak Fred and George filched from the kitchen at his request.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Alohomora…" she said irritably.

Click.

The unlocking charm did its work, the front door's catch was tripped.

"Grrrrrrr….." Fang snarled as the animal stalked toward the intruders.

"Go get it boy!" Ron whistled, throwing the steak over his shoulder.

The dog's tail wagged ecstatically as he bounced away.

"Some guard dog he is…" Harry snorted.

The three crept through the darkened cabin, eying the large prone form of Hagrid the whole time.

"Incendie prevue." Hermione hissed, gesturing at Harry and Ron.

The two young men winced as an intense cold feeling washed over them.

"W-what was that?" Ron chattered.

"A fire proofing charm that I found. It doesn't last long, so we'd better get the egg away as soon as possible." Hermione said matter of factly as Ron and Harry lifted the egg from the fire.

* * *

Four days later…

"That thing is a nightmare!" Ron spat as he nursed the bite marks in his hand. The dragon had hatched two days earlier, and according to Hermione, the Norwegian Ridgeback was one of the rarer breeds, and possessed traits similar to the Komodo dragon. Mainly a rare strain of bacteria that nested in their teeth that was lethal unless treated. The redhead found this out only a matter of minutes after 'the little horror' as Ron dubbed him took a chunk out of his hand after he tried feeding it brandy and chicken's blood, just like Hagrid had suggested. The thing had grown startlingly large over the time since it hatched. Only liberal paralysis hexes kept the increasingly irate dragon from going on a rampage in the Gryffindor first year dorm.

Thankfully, Harry's little alliance with Pomfrey came in handy. He gave her facts and she procured the necessary potions from her contacts at St. Mungo's to counteract the infection.

The next night, they managed to stuff the Dragon into a crate and hauled it up to the highest tower under Harry's brand new invisibility cloak that he had received over Christmas.

"Remind me to find the kitchen so I can get my hands on a cheese grater later…" Harry groaned.

"Why?" Ron grunted.

"So I can use it on Hagrid's left butt cheek for putting us in this mess!" the middle Elric snarled.

"I concur!" Hermione uttered.

The sight when they rounded the corner stopped the trio in their tracks.

"But I heard them! I know those three are going to be here and they'll have a dragon with them! They're going to try to smuggle it out of the castle." They heard Draco Malfoy whine.

"Really Mr. Malfoy, this has to be the flimsiest excuse I've heard in all my years as a professor! You expect me to believe that three first year students are attempting to smuggle an infant dragon out of the castle?" McGonagall scowled hotly.

"But…but…" Draco protested.

"Grrrrrrr….." 'the little Horror' snarled.

"Uh-oh, I think those hexes wore off…" Hermione gulped.

BANG!

The infant dragon burst out of the crate and took off like a shot.

"ARGH!" Ron yelped.

"ACK!" Harry cried out.

"EEK!" Hermione screeched as they toppled over in a tangle of limbs.

The diminutive wyrm shot off like a bat out of hell toward McGonagall and Malfoy.

"See! I told you! They did have a dragon!" the blond whooped, his jubilation was quickly transformed into alarm when the Dragon spat a fire ball at the hem of his robes.

"RUN FOR IT!" Harry barked as the three took off in different directions.

* * *

Half an hour later, Harry ducked behind one of the large shelves in the Library.

"If I get out of this without getting expelled, I'll never break another rule again!" Harry muttered under his breath.

"He went this way!" Harry heard Snape bark.

The three eyed boy pulled the hood of his invisibility cloak over his head and slipped deeper into the shadows.

CLUNK!

"AUGH!" Harry yelped as he tumbled backwards and down a flight of steps.

BUMP!

"AGH!"

WHUMP!

"GAH!"

BANG!

Finally, the young boy's decent was halted several seconds later by a hard stone floor.

"Urg…If I ever meet the knucklehead who designed that secret passage, I'm gonna give him a punch in the nose…" Harry grunted irritably.

Harry gingerly sat up and rubbed the growing lump on the back of his head. The dusty corridor he landed in was a long sloping hallway with branches that diverged in every direction.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry picked a corridor at random and cautiously followed his chosen path.

The minutes passed as the middle Elric noticed that the passage was sloping gently upward.

Finally after a short period of search, the evil eye alchemist found the end of the corridor. Much to his surprise, it was a transparent wall that afforded him a view directly into what harry recognized as the corridor right outside his Professor McGonagall's transfiguration classroom.

The first year student pressed his hand against the barrier, surprisingly it gave way under his probing fingers. Harry stepped through and looked at his surroundings. He realized that he had somehow walked through the ornate mirror that hung on the wall.

Smirking, Harry ran his fingers along the mirror's frame until the school crest at the top of the frame sank into the wall. The glass surface rippled slightly as Harry once again stepped into the secret passage.

* * *

The next several hours were spent exploring the new secret passage. Much to Harry's delight, the branching pathways all led to identical mirrors that were scattered through the castle. The kitchens, the area right outside the various house dorms, far off and disused corridors, they were all open to him. In addition, harry made the delightful discovery that he could see and hear everything that was being said outside the mirror, but no one could say the same for him. Harry discovered this when he saw Professor Snape stalking through the dungeons muttering quite clearly under his breath what he planned to do to Harry and his 'toadies' once he got his hands on them.

After spending most of the night exploring the castle in depth, Harry finally managed to find his way the mirror right outside the Ravenclaw common room.

With a sigh of relief, it seemed that his nighttime adventure had finally came to an end, meaning that he could get a few hours of sleep before classes the next morning.

"Might I ask what you are doing out of bed, young Harry?" Professor Flitwick asked.

So much for that…

* * *

The next day…

Harry let out a groan of annoyance. Professor Flitwick had deducted twenty point form Ravenclaw for being out after hours. Surprisingly enough, he also caught Rose Delvina in the library after closing trying to smuggle several books out of the restricted section and deducted an additional twenty from her as well. Thankfully, Hermione and Ron managed to get back to their common rooms without getting caught. In the end, their attempts at smuggling the dragon lost Ravenclaw twenty point and earned Harrry a week's worth of detentions starting that night…

* * *

That night…

_"This sucks…" _Harry though as Filch led him along the edge of the forest to Hagrid who was monitoring the detention. The malodorous little troll delighted in telling Harry about the horror stories of the forbidden forest.

"And we found what was left of the little idiots a month later. They ran into a werewolf pack and got torn apart. It was so tragic that I only partied for a week!" the caretaker leered.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Harry sneered.

"You should be!" Filch spat.

" 'at's enough! I be in charge of this detention Filch! So off with ya!" Hagrid scowled as he picked up the smaller man by the scruff of his neck and shoved his back toward the castle, much to the delight of Malfoy, and Rose.

"I'll be back around midnight to pick up what left of 'em!" the caretaker grinned demonically.

"What are we doing here?" Malfoy scowled.

"Quit whining you little toad." The pink haired girl scowled, clipping the pureblood on the back of the head.

"Why you little mud…"

"Enough! Both of ya!" Hagrid barked as he yanked the two apart.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked.

"There's something huntin' the more rare creature in the forest, mainly the unicorns. I'm takin' all of yeh in the the woods to hunt it down."

"But that's servant work!" Draco gawked.

"What's the matter ferret? Afraid of this big bad woods?" Harry sneered.

"I said stow it! This is too important to risk on yep petty bickering! We'll be splitin' into teams of two. If any of ya see anything, cast up some sparks into the sky!" the grounds keeper rumbled.

"In that case, I want fang with me!" the Malfoy heir proclaimed, yanking the leash out of the larger man's hand.

"Fine, But I'm warnin' yeh, he's a coward through and through. I got something stolen from me cabin the other day and what did I find that mutt doin'? He was munchin' on a steak!"

"You don't say?" Harry grinned weakly.

"I got a bad feeling about this…" Rose muttered.

* * *

"We're on the fourth hour of this little expedition and we haven't seen hide nor hair of any unicorns or the thing that's preying on the herds." The dark haired girl snorted as she trudged alongside Harry.

"I'm half tempted just to send up some sparks just on the off chance we'll get this done quicker." Harry spat.

"You too?" she blinked.

"Yeah. I didn't sign on just to end up as a werewolf pack's chew toy!"

"Sign on?"

"Damn it! Can we just forget I said anything?"

"Not a chance."

"Damn. Maybe I should have been code named the big mouth alchemist instead of evil eye…"

"Less of the talking and more of the spilling please?"

"All right all right…there might be a small chance that I'm here on a secret diplomatic mission to the wizarding world assigned by Fuhrer King Bradley. Unfortunately, my mouth seems to have a habit of running off at inopportune times, so you can't tell anyone about this or I'll get the ax, more than likely quite literally."

"Whoa."

"Just one more question, what were you doing after hours?"

"If you must know, I was smuggling a dragon chick out of the castle."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. Hagrid won an egg in a poker tournament. And all things considered my friends and I didn't want to have the grounds reduced to a smoldering mess once that thing grew too big for his dinky little hut. Long story short, we stole into his cabin and kept the thing on ice until Ron's brother Charlie, who raises dragons in a reserve in Romania, could come and get the little bugger."

"And how did that result in getting caught?"

"The little horror's magical defense wasn't developed enough to withstand anything stronger than a tickling charm, so we cast a butt load of paralysis hexes on it and stuffed it in a crate. Long story short, the hexes wore off and it burst free. The three of us ran for it and I got caught by Flitwick just as I was sneaking into the common room. Thankfully, they didn't have any proof that I was behind the beast's rampage through the castle, so all they could bust me for was being out after hours. At least I got to see Malfoy's butt catch on fire.

"So that's why he's been limping!" she giggled.

"Yep, now it's your turn. What were you doing out after hours in the restricted section?"

"Looking up a few spells?"

"For what?"

"Erm…you know how you ousted Cornello from his position of power?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, several squads of soldiers from the Armestris military moved in a matter of days before I came here to 'keep the peace'. They've been throwing their weight around, and with the way the tension is rising…"

"Things are going to blow soon…" Harry grimaced, mentally cursing Bradley for having the subtly of a two ton weight.

"Yes, I was hoping to find some spells to…I don't know…make them leave, a mass teleportation spell, or something to take control of their minds and make them leave and not come back."

"It's a good idea, but there are a few holes in your plan."

"Do tell…"

"First, you are a first year. And as such, you have access to only a tenth of your total magical core. You don't reach full power until you reach the age of fifteen. As such, if you did find a good spell, you would drain yourself dry the moment you cast it."

"Point taken, what were the other holes?"

"Next, if by some miracle you did succeed in driving the soldiers out of your town, I highly doubt Bradley would take it lying down. He would send twice as many soldiers back, and send in more and more until Liore was reduced to a pile of rubble. He isn't known as 'The Bloody Conqueror' for nothing you know."

"So what am I supposed to do? Sit on my hands while those soldiers raid and pillage my home until nothing's left?"

"I honestly don't know. I may be a state alchemist, but I don't have the Fuhrer's ear. I'm a lowly grunt. My rank is only equivalent to a major, meaning I my authority is in name only. My advice, work with the other dissenters and form a resistance movement. Work to wear them down and make them leave. Steal supplies, weapons, make some of the soldiers disappear, be like smoke. But most of all, remember the old adage, you don't have to win, only survive. Learn from the mistake of the Ishvalans. They fought to win against a vastly superior force. In the end it was like they were trying to break down a stone wall with their heads, an exercise in futility."

"That's some good…"

"SHUSH! Do you hear that?" Harry whispered, slapping his hand over the girls mouth.

The two crept quietly along and peered through a bush. The sight that greeted them would haunt her to her dying day. A cloaked figure was hunched over a slain unicorn. The poor creature looked like it had been torn apart. It had long deep gashes all along its body. Two of its legs had been torn off and were nowhere to be seen.

"Rose, you go and shoot off the sparks a good distance away. I get the feeling that this thing isn't gonna stick around long if it sees us send off the signal. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him."

"Ok, I'll be back with the others in a few." The bi haired girl whispered as she slinked away.

That was when disaster struck.

CRACK!

The dark skinned girl stepped on a twig.

"GO!" Harry barked as the mystery figure snapped up, glaring directly at them.

Harry took a deep breath, and stood up. He heard a hissing sound and realized that the cloaked figure was casting under his breath.

"Veniant Spiritus Glaciales Obscurantes! Cum Obscuratione Flet Tempestas Nivalis! Nivis Tempestas Obscurans!" (Come, Spirits of Ice and Darkness! O Snowstorm which Blows with Darkness! Snowstorm of Darkness!) the person chanted.

A six foot column of wind and ice flew from the unicorn slayer's hand, Harry dove to the side and barely managed to avoid the insanely powerful spell tearing him to pieces.

"Poooottteerrrr…..Let me rrrriipp you… let me ennnd youuuu " it hissed.

"Let's hope all that training paid off…" Harry scowled as he clapped his hands to the ground, only for his concentration to be disrupted when a blinding pain seared through the young boy's mind.

WHUMP!

BANG!

The figure blurred forward and caught Harry by the throat, it lifted him into the air and hurled him across the clearing.

"Agite Tenebrae Abyssi, Ensis Incendens! Et Incendium Caliginis Umbrae Inimicitiae Destructionis Ultionis! Incendant et Me et Eum, Sint Solum Incendentes! Incendium Gehennae!" (Come Forth, Darkness of the Abyss, Burning Sword! And the Conflagration of Mist, Shadows, Enmity, Destruction, and Vengeance! Set he and I aflame, burning to our very foundation! Hellfire Conflagration)" it roared.

Harry's eyes bulged as a stream of black hellfire roared from the creature's hand, desperate to dodge the blaze, he latched onto a passing branch and hauled himself up. Le leaped into the treetops and watched as the spell passed scant inched from where he was standing.

PHOOOOOMMMMM!

The firebolt hit a nearby tree and incinerated it into a pile of ashes in a matter of seconds.

Whoosh!

The cloaked being blurred as it ran up the tree almost faster than the middle Elric's three eyes could follow.

"Damn it! How high is this guy's MP? What the hell is he, freakin' Sephiroth? Harry panted as he desperately hopped form branch to branch in a futile bod to put some distance between himself and the beast.

"ACK!" Harry yelps as it grabed him by his pony tail hurled the young boy toward the ground.

Suddenly, his whole body jerked as he came to a screeching stop twenty feet above the impact zone.

Harry realized blearily that whoever this was held him in a levitation charm.

"Κενότητος ἀστράπσατω δὲ τεμέτω! Δίος τύκος!" the creature chanted, which translated to ""Come forth from the void, O Thunder, and cut down my enemy! Axe of Lightning!"

A bolt of energy arced through the air and struck Harry in the chest he let put a scream of white hot agony as thousands of volts of electricity slowly cooked him from the inside out.

THUNK!

The spell was abruptly cut off as an arrow slammed into the mystery person's shoulder, cutting off the levitation spell and dropping Harry to the ground. It shot a venomous glance at the shooter before disappearing into the shadows.

The last thing that the alchemist saw before he blacked out was a ruddy face with a long beard and dark curly hair looking down on him before he vaguely felt the sensation of being moved, then darkness…

**You know the drill, read review, and check out the challenges on my author profile page.**


	19. Chapter 17:And through the Mirror Darkly

**"Once again, I welcome you to the next installment of The Evil Eye Alchemist!" I proclaim grandly.**

**"Dramatist!" Zatanna snorted.**

**"As you can see, my muse is a little bit sour about the fact that she hasn't been featured in the opening comments for the past couple of weeks." I sigh.**

**"That and the fact that you're going on a two week vacation** **and I'm not invited!" she pouted.**

**"We only have three tickets! And considering you're a book character with no documentation to prove your existence..." I point out.**

**"I have documentation! take a look at this!" she proclaims, holding out a piece of paper.**

**"A signed photograph of you with Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson is not legal I.D! Now could you say the disclaimer please?" I snort**

**"Oh all right! Sorakage Sama does not own any of the characters, items, or locations in this story. they are all the product of the fertile minds of their creators." she pouts.**

Chapter Seventeen: And through the Mirror Darkly

"Potter…wake up Harry!" a voice said.

"Urg..Five more minutes Ed…"

"WAKE UP!"

WHACK!

"OW!" Harry yelped someone smacked him in the back of the head.

"Riddle? What the hell was that for?" the last Potter sputtered.

"I needed a way to end the sleeping beauty routine that didn't involve planting one on you. I like you, but not that much!" the spirit snorted.

"Thanks for the sentiment, how long was I out for?"

"A day and a half by my rough estimation. Just out of curiosity, who did this to you? Someone worked you over really well, and not in a good way."

"Har-de-har-har! For your inspiration I think I think I had a little sparring match with Voldemort. I met this freak in the forbidden forest, he was sucking blood out of a Unicorn and turned on me. He used all sorts of magic that I never heard of before. He said these long chants in a weird language and then shot these massive blasts of energy at me. The last one he hit me with conjured up a huge bolt of lightning that nearly cooked me from the inside out."

"Damn, you are **very** lucky my friend. You went head to head with and S-class magical criminal and lived to tell the tale! Not many people can boast about that!"

"S-class?" Harry blinked.

"That's the way the wizarding world classifies its criminals. D-class is the lowest, meaning that their just jay-walkers or something just as ridiculously minor. S-class on the other hand, is on the opposite end of the scale. They're the worst of the worst. The dark lords that take hundreds of lives and don't care a whit about the people they slaughter and have more power than wizards and witches people put together."

"Man, that sound horrible."

"You have no idea. Trust me when I say that you were lucky to walk away with your skin intact."

"I can see that…" Harry shuddered.

The world around them suddenly began to waver, like the landscape of a desert.

"Oh! It looks like your waking up! Listen I made a little gift for you. It'll be in your pocket when you wake up. Try it out when you have the time…."

The world faded into white….

* * *

"Mr. Potter's condition continues to improve. The electrical burns are all but healed and the spell backlash is almost gone. He should be waking up any time now…" the alchemist heard Madam Pomfery say. The middle Elric closed his eyes again and settled into a restful sleep.

* * *

It was several days later that Harry secluded himself in a clearing deep in the forbidden forest. He examined the card: the most prominent part was the picture of Harry embossed in the center, wearing his usual slacks, sweater, and duster combo, was crouched and holding in his hands a dagger and a odd looking double bladed sword. Right underneath his name was the title plagatus vir (wounded hero). Under that was a Latin word for the virtue Aduacia (courage). Directly below that was the direction centrum, or middle. Embossed in the upper left hand corner was the Roman numeral XIII, thirteen. Next to that in the upper right hand corner was the elemental color Argentium (silver). One the lower left hand corner was astrological symbol for the sun, a circle with a dot in the center.

"Let's see if Hermione's info was right about this…adeat!"

POP!

A puff of smoke obscured the dark haired boy, and when the mist faded, Harry was holding an exact replica of the weapon on the card.

"'Ho Helos Meta Kirion Furosopon'? The man with a thousand faces?" Harry blinked owlishly, examining the name branded onto the bigger of the two blades.

The alchemist shrugged his shoulders and jabbed dagger into a nearby tree, the weapon barely even nicked the bark.

"Well this is lame! This thing is so dull that it couldn't even cut butter! Powerful artifact my behind! It'd be nice if I actually got a sword that could do something other than look good!" the alchemist scowled.

BANG!

"AGH!" Harry yelped as he toppled over from the increase weight of the weapon. The blade in his hands disappeared and in its place was a large sword as big as Harry.

"Coooool!" Harryy grinned wolfishly.

* * *

Harry had spent the past several hours experimenting with the variety of weapons he could transform the artifact into. Now he was working on how BIG he could make them

"SANKANKEN…ACK!" his last experiment was to create a sword bigger than the tree in the forest. Unfortunately, he made one rather large tactical error. While he was stronger than the average eleven year old, he wasn't even **close** to being powerful enough to lift that titanic blade he dubbed 'the warship breaker'.

**BA-BOOM!**

**KA-BAM!**

**PA-POW!**

The massive bastard sword toppled over backwards and crushed every tree beneath it into splinters.

"Ow….Mental note…never do that again…" Harry groaned.

"THE NOISE CAME FROM THIS WAY!" the alchemist heard Hagrid say.

The Middle's Elric's eyes widened in surprise, he then realized that his experimentation might have made a little too much of a racket.

* * *

"So? Was the experiment a success?" Hermione asked excitedly as Harry crept back into the common room.

"Yep the artifact was called 'Ho Helos Meta Kirion Furosopon, or the man with a thousand faces. It's basically a huge ass pair of swords that turn into just about anything sharp and pointy. The only limit is what you can come up with in your imagination. I turned it into this humongous zweihänder that was bigger than the trees in the forest…the only problem was that it was too big for he to hold onto and I nearly squished myself…" Harry shrugged.

"That's incredible! Pactio magic's been a lost art for the past five hundred years! Think of the benefits that we could have if we could figure out how to reverse engineer that card!" the brunette gushed, fingering the contract reverently.

"No way in hell! I'm not letting you dissect my new mega weapon just so you can get your scientific jollies!" Harry glowered, snatching the pactio card from her grasp.

"But…but…but…think of the knowledge!" she whined.

"No! If you have to have something to gush over, you can use these copy cards. They don't have the same power. All they can do is put us in telepathic contact if something's wrong and allow one person to summon another from a distance. But it's doesn't allow you to get through most standard wards, so its application is limited…" Harry shrugged, handing her the three spare copy cards.

"Thank you!" she giggled, hugging him tightly and pecking him on the cheek.

"Erm…duh….you're welcome?" Harry squeaked, his face reddening to an unhealthy degree.

"GUYS! You have see this! I figured out where I heard of Flamel before: on the Dumbledore chocolate frog card!" Ron yelled, rushing into the Ranvenclaw common room.

_"Dumbledore's accomplishments include discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood and his numerous alchemical experiments with his research partner: Nicholas Flamel!"_

"Wait just a cotton pickin' second! Are you saying that there's alchemy in this country too?" Harry gaped.

'Yes, I did some research on the subject, but all this country's alchemy is capable of doing is turning led into gold and warping the basic four elements. It's nothing compared to what you described." Hermione answered. Her eyes widened suddenly and she bolted for the dormitory staircase, "Wait here! I just thought of something!"

Moments later. She came down carrying the biggest book the boys had ever seem. It had to have been at least as tall as she was."

"Nicholas Flamel is one of the world's most famous alchemists. He's the only known creator of the philosopher's stone." The brunette said, turning to a specific page of _'famous figures of advanced magical theory."_

"Can you say that again?" Harry whispered.

"Nicholas Flamel is the only known creator of the philosopher's stone?" Hermione blinked.

"I don't fucking believe it! The stone's been under my very nose this whole time! To think, I was so close and I never even knew it!" Harry ranted, storming away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ron said, placing himself between Harry and the common room entrance.

"Where do you think? I'm getting that damn stone!" Harry barked."

"But you could get in trouble, you could get arrested, or worse, expelled!" Hermione pleaded.

"You two don't understand! This is my one and only chance! The stone has the property to enhance alchemic transmutations! If I get my hands on it, I can bypass the laws of equivalent exchange and turn my body back to normal! My little brother Al can get his human body back! We won't have to live with the guilt of our sins anymore! Will you two really deny me this one chance at redemption?" Harry pleaded.

The redhead and the brunette looked at each other, "Fine but you aren't going alone! And don't give us that 'it's my burden so I'll bear it alone garbage'!" Ron scowled.

"Are you sure? We don't know what kind of traps are beyond the trap door." Hermione stated reluctantly.

"I have an idea about that!" harry grinned, dashing off.

Moments later he came down with Azulara and his flute, "Music sooths the savage beast after all, and I don't know anyone with a better voice than her!" Harry grinned, tickling the feathered serpent under the chin.

* * *

The three crept along in silence under the invisibility cloak, making sure not to make a sound. Even their breathing seemed muted in the dusty corridors.

Finally, they reached their destination. The sealed off third floor corridor. Harry's eyebrows rose to his hairline when she saw that the door had already been forced open.

"Me thinks, there's more than rats abroad in the castle tonight…" Hermione frowned.

"My bet's on Snape, something rubbed me the wrong way about that slime ball since the beginning!" Ron grunted.

"Cut the chatter! We're here for a reason!" Harry hissed.

The three shucked the cloak and crept into the hall. The delicate sounds of a flute playing echoed through the passageway like a symphony. Fluffy was thankfully sound asleep.

"Keep an eye on it while I move its paw. Hermione whispered.

Taking a deep breath, she cast the spell and lifted the creature's limb off the entrance.

"Harry?" Ron whispered.

"Yes?" the three eyed boy answered.

"Is it me, or did it get a little too quiet?"

"I think your right!" Harry gulped

"**GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRR!"**

Harry's third eye snapped open, transfixing the creature.

"Azulara! Sing! Sing like your life depends on it, because it does!" Harry hissed as he struggled to keep his hold on the beast's mind.

_Many nights we've prayed_

_With no proof anyone could hear_

_In our hearts a hopeful song_

_We barely understood_

_Now we are not afraid_

_Although we know there's much to fear_

_We were moving mountains long_

_Before we knew we could_

_There can be miracles, when you believe_

_Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill_

_Who knows what miracles you can achieve_

_When you believe, somehow you will_

_You will when you believe_

_In this time of fear_

_When prayers so often proves in vain_

_Hope seems like the summer birds_

_Too swiftly flown away_

_Yet now I'm standing here_

_My heart's so full I can't explain_

_Seeking faith and speaking words_

_I never thought I'd say_

_There can be miracles, when you believe_

_Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill_

_Who knows what miracles you can achieve_

_When you believe, somehow you will_

_You will when you believe_

_There can be miracles_

_When you believe_

_Though hope is frail_

_It's hard to kill_

_Who knows what miracles, you can achieve_

_When you believe, somehow you somehow you will_

_You will when you believe_

The Dog's head began to droop after the first verse. Harry subtly implanted the suggestion for exhaustion in what passed for the dogs brains. It was difficult to say the least. The alchemist had never had to split his focus in so many ways before. If his hold on one of the head slipped, the others would have followed. And he wouldn't have had a second chance to reapply his grasp.

Finally, after the final verse, the three headed Doberman collapsed in a snoozing heap.

Hermione levitated the beast's head off the door, she and Ron disappeared into the depths of the underground labyrinth.

Harry made sure to snatch a handful of the dog's loose fur for later before he jumped. He had a sneaking suspicion about the magical world in general. And one of the key's to that mystery might be that sample of fur.

* * *

BOING!

BOING!

BOING!

Harry let out a grunt of surprise when he landed on a surprisingly soft surface.

"What's this?" Harry blinked, fingering one of the tendrils that made up the mass he was sitting on.

"I don't know and I don't care. I'm glad it's here and we landed on it!" Ron shrugged as he climbed down.

"Get away from that! It's devil snare!" Hermione screamed.

"Oh poop!" Harry gulped.

THWIP!

WHUMP!

A mass of vines lashed out and snatched up the Weasley and Potter.

"AGH!" get this thing offa me!" Ron gasped as the vines squeezed the life out of him.

"GRK!"Harry agreed as a particularly thick vine crept around his neck.

"Devil Snare hates heat and light! We need to build a fire to drive it off!" the intelligent brunette cried out.

"Are you a witch or not! Use a damn spell!" Ron sputtered.

Harry ignored the two students and reached into the pocket of his robes. He pulled out a familiar ignition cloth glove and put it on his hand.

"Hermione! On three, cover your eyes! I'm gonna something that's not too bright, but it might save our lives!" harry slurred.

"One!"

"Two!"

"THREE!"

SNAP!

FWOOSSSSHHHHHHH!

**BOOOOOOMMMMM**

Hermione averted her eyes. She heard the sound of rushing wind, and then a gigantic explosion. She could feel the heat all the way across the room.

After several seconds, the brunette opened her eyes and saw harry and Ron smoldering on what was left of the Devil's snare.

"Damn it Harry! Warn be before you do something like that…" Ron huffed.

"Sorry, I stole that trick from my superior officer a year ago. He said that he'd roast me over an open fire if I ever used it. And considering the guy earned the name 'The flame alchemist', I'm not gonna risk antagonizing him." Harry uttered.

FWAP!

"OW! MIONE! What was that for!" Harry barked, rubbing his bruised skull

"Did you hear a word I said? I said WARMTH and HEAT drive it away! Not a blazing inferno!" the female Ravenclaw sputtered

"I didn't get the chance to practice the technique that much! I still need to fine tune my control…" Harry shrugged sheepishly.

* * *

Harry blinked in surprise when he saw the obstacle in the next room.

"That is one BIG troll!" Ron gulped as he looked at the prone creature on the ground, its throat out and it's body littered with spell damage.

"I don't know what did that, but I'm glad we don't have to deal with it…" Harry flinched.

"Agreed…" Hermione gulped.

* * *

The next room was deceptively plain. Hermione cast an unlocking charm at the door, only for the spell to wash uselessly over the entryway.

Harry rolled up his sleeves and slapped his palms to the wood.

WHA-BOOM!

A shockwave knocked the three on their backs.

"OW! I'm not doing that again!" Harry groaned as he glared at what was apparently a spelled door.

"Well, there's no way through the door, so there must we a way to unlock it…" the redhead uttered, looking toward the heavens.

"Oi! Look at that!" Ron barked, gesturing toward the ceiling.

"Harry's eyes widened in surprise when he saw what looked like hundreds of keys with glittering wings hovering above their heads.

"I got this one!" Harry grinned, spying the broom propped against the wall.

He mounted his broom and shot off into the air like a rocket. The keys seemed to hang in mid-air before shooting at Harry like miniature darts.

"Oh poop…" the last potter gulped.

He whirled his broom around and flew as fast as the artifact was able to go. He dove in and out of the columns lining the room, even going as far as to weave around the wooden cross beams lining the ceiling. Finally after several helter-skelter minutes of flying, Harry noticed one key that was different from the others. He stopped in mid air, causing the keys to go shooting past him. He held out his hand and latched into the once key with blue jeweled wings. He dove and tossed it to Ron who stuffed the key roughly into the keyhole.

Harry made a mad dash for the door just as Hermione threw it open. The moment he passed through, they slammed the door closed, only to hear the sound of the flock of keys burying themselves into the wooden entryway like darts.

"That…was too close!" Ron gasped.

* * *

The group looked over the last obstacle with ill disguised alarm. The next obstacle was a giant chess set.

Harry knew that transmuting such an obviously magical setup was out of the question.

And the moment that Harmione tried to cross the board, one of the pawns took a swing at her with his sword, nearly chopping her in two.

Ron licked his lips, "I'm one of the best chess players in my family. My father taught me everything I know, and he hasn't been able to beat me in five years. Harry, you take the bishop position, Hermione, you take the rook, as for me, I'll be the knight."

* * *

The next hour was one of the longest in Harry's life. The two Ravenclaws followed Ron's directions to the letter. The black pieces showed no mercy to their white counterparts smashing and hacking Ron's pieces apart at every opportunity.

Finally, Ron paused. He had just been forced to sacrifice his queen to gain a valuable tactical position over his opponent.

"Hermione, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I'm going to move, and then the black queen will take me."

"Wait a minute! If you do that…" Harry protested.

"That's chess! I need to sacrifice my knight in order to leave the black king open for checkmate! Whatever happens, you have to follow through." The redhead said.

"Ron, please don't do this…Hermione pleaded.

"I'm sorry…knight to E-5!" the gangly redhead yelled.

The white horse slid across the field and landed in direct line of sight with the black queen.

The second strongest piece on the chessboard slid forward….and thrust her stone blade into the white steed.

THUNK!

"URK!"

Ron felt a white hot pain lance through his stomach, he looked down and realized that he had been impaled on the queens blade, she tossed him aside like a broken marionette who's strings had been cut.

"RON…NO!" Hermione screamed brokenly, about to run to her fallen friend

"HERMIONE…FREEZE!" Harry barked.

The brunette stopped.

"If you move one more step, we'll lose the game and Voldemort will get the stone. Do you want Ron's sacrifice to be in vein?" the three eyed boy asked.

Hermione trembled violently, but followed Ron's plan and captured the king. The stone chess piece took off its crown and tossed the item at Hermione's feet.

"You go and take Ron to Madam Pomfrey, use the brooms back in the key room. I'll move on ahead and take care of things from here." the alchemist said.

Every shaking of her mournful body was like a knife stabbing into Harry's stomach. No tears came from his green eyes, but the soreness in his throat was paralyzing. He stood there, shaking, eyes dry. Before disappearing into the next room.

* * *

Ron was floating…floating in the void. Every effort to move even his finger felt like he was lifting a hundred ton weight.

**_"I'm so sorry we had to meet under these circumstances Ron-kun."_** A voice whispered.

His movements lethargic, Ron turned his head to the side and most beautiful woman he had ever seen sitting beside him.

**_"I have come to give you a choice. The coming trials will push the bodies minds and soul of your friends to the limit and beyond. They are embroiled in a journey that encompasses far more than the wizarding world. The fate of muggles and magical folk alike rest on their shoulders, and you are the linchpin to which that burden will fall…"_** the sepia eyed woman said softly, her silky hands caressing the redhead's face.

"What do you mean?' Ron blinked.

**_"Before you are two paths: one of death and one of life. If you choose the path of death, you will cross over to the next world and eventually be reborn. If you choose life, I can infuse you with a small amount of my magic and you will live long enough to reach a healer."_**

"I sense a but coming on…"

**_"Indeed. You must know that your death is what spurns a certain someone toward greater heights then she was destined for. In the uninterrupted timeline, she would become world renown, but slowly fade from the light of day and die in obscurity…"_**

"What does this have to do with me?" the redhead growled.

**_"If you choose the path of death, things will change…."_**

_A vision flashed before Ron's eyes, he saw a shadowed figure weeping on the Astronomy Tower._

_The vision changed to that same person pouring over a text, taking notes, a flash of light, a scream of pain, a glimpse of scaly flesh, an animalistic roar, the cheer of a crowd, a scream of utter fury, the sound of steel meeting steel, a figure wearing armor, a high cold laugh from a pale noseless face, a sword, the sound of battle, joyous laughter, silent tears, utter silence._

**_"None of this will come to pass unless Hitsuzen is met."_**

"This isn't fair! I'm just a kid! I wanted to live a long life and….and…" the redhead whimpered.

**_"I know it is of little comfort, but the next life is a peaceful one. You will find rest there, and when the time comes for you to be reborn, I will ensure personally that you are reborn…"_**Yuko murmured.

"I guess I really don't have a choice, do I…" the redhead whispered.

The choice was made…

* * *

Harry said a silent prayer as he passed through the black fire, the potion riddle had been difficult to the extreme, and only a last minute realization on the part of the Evil Eye alchemist kept him from drinking the wrong bottle.

He took a deep breath and entered the chamber.

There was someone there. It wasn't Voldemort and it wasn't Quirrel…

"You!" Harry gasped.

"Brilliant deduction Mr. Potter! Full marks!" Snape snorted, holding a bright red stone in his grasp.

"But….Voldemort…the stone…what are you doing here?"

"The answer is quite simple, I have, and have always been loyal to my master. I was his faithful servant first and foremost, even when I told that fool of a headmaster that I actually _regretted_ selling your family and Longbottom's to Voldemort, by telling him the prophecy that links you and my master." The potions professor sniffed.

"A prophecy? What are you talking about?"

"Ask the headmaster, although I sincerely doubt that the old goat will be forthcoming with any answers."

Harry's mind whirled with the implication of what had been said: there was an unknown prophecy linking him and Voldemort, Snape was directly responsible for his family being targeted and killed, Snape was a traitor all along.

All this led to one inescapable conclusion…

Snape had to die.

But the revelations weren't finished yet…

_"Let me speak to him…"_ an unseen voice whispered.

"But Master…" Snape protested.

_"I have enough strength for one battle. Now show me his face." _

Snape fingered his hair and pulled, revealing that his greasy locks were in fact a wig. He turned around and revealed the back of his head. Showing the most horrific Face that harry had ever seen, its skin was chalk white, with red glowing eyes, and two slits in place of a nose.

"Voldemort…" Harry hissed.

"Indeed you Potter. I must say that I'm surprised you managed to make it this far. I would have guessed that you would have never made it past the devil's snare, given how often Snape disparages your abilities…" the serpentine face tittered.

"Well the grease ball has a bad habit of underestimating students that aren't in Slytherin. That; why the Weasly twins were able to get one over on him…" Harry grinned.

"Enough chatter! Vscuto!" Snape barked, shooting a sickly yellow beam of light out of his wand.

ZAAAKK!

Harry pressed his palms to the ground and transmuted a quick wall out of the floor, blocking the spell.

"How in heaven's name…"

"The child is an alchemist, and a skilled one at that!" the serpentine sorcerer grinned.

"But…how?"

That's enough Severus. You are no match for him at your current level. I will conduct this battle from here." the face said.

Snape started to protest, but he was cut off as his face was sucked into his head, and Voldemort's appeared in its place.

"That's much better. It certainly is nice to have a body once again, even if it is temporary. I'll be sure to enjoy it once I use this stone to craft myself a new form!" the disembodies spirit grinned, flexing his borrowed fingers.

CRACK!

A bolt of energy struck the ground and created a swirling portal to who knows where.

"What say we take this little soiree to a more appropriate location." Voldemort smiled, stepping through the vortex.

Harry pulled out his Pactio card and activated it.

"Let' rumble!" Harry grunted.

* * *

The moment harry materialized, he recognized the location as his training grove deep in the forbidden forest.

"Locos Umbrae Regnans Scáthach! In Manum Meum Dedo Iaculum Daemonium Cum Spinis Triginta! Iaculatio Fulgoris!" Harry heard someone chant, which translated to: Scratch, who Reigns over the Realm of Shadows! Surrender unto my Hands Thirty Barbed Demonic Spears! Lightning Spears!

Harry's double bladed weapon turned into a mirror surfaced shield, which intercepted the blast and bounced it off into the night.

"Very good young Potter! You're finally learning!" the dark wizard clapped mockingly.

"Learn THIS!" Harry barked, turning his shield into a spear and hurling it with lightning speed.

CRACK!

WHUMP!

The serpentine wizard disappeared and rematerialized right In front of Harry, the possessed wizard slammed his knee into Harry's gut, driving the wind from his lungs.

CRACK!

Harry retaliated with a transmuted earthen fist to the face, knocking the wizard on his butt.

Voldemort sat there blearily for a second before he reached up and snapped his jaw back into place.

"That was a nice counter…"

WHAM!

Voldemort swept Harry's feet out from under him, and nailed him in the legs with a bone breaking hex.

"But this, is a better one…" the dark wizard smirked, as he stalked toward his fallen prey.

"No! I can't move my legs!" Harry hissed he tried desperately to move.

"Face it Potter, you did well, you got past all the traps and tricks and managed to last five seconds with me in a duel. As a consolation prize, I'll let you hold Philosopher's stone before I kill you." The sallow faced wizard grinned. Passing the stone into Harry's grasp.

"Thanks for the sentiment, but you seemed to have forgotten one thing." Harry growled as he propped himself into a sitting position.

"And what's that?"

"Never underestimate an alchemist! **Meus virga!"**

The spear harry had cast aside at the beginning of the fight appeared back in his hand.

"SANKANKEN!" the alchemist bellowed.

CRACK!

WHA-BOOM!

Voldemort's eyes bulged as the warship breaker expanded and sliced him bloodily in half, bisecting him right down the middle.

Voldemort laid there his body broken as his life's blood drained through the gaping wound that used to be his lower half.

With Voldemort defeated, the teleportation spell unraveled, depositing the two back in the chamber.

"Very good young Harry. Very, Very good, you did much better than I ever expected." The serpentine wizard hissed.

"Glad you think so. And Now I think I'm going to sit back and watch as your soul gets torn out of that half dead shell and pulled into hell while I enjoy my prize." Harry grinned savagely, holding up the philosopher's stone.

"Hardly, you should have realized by now that there's a difference between facing me in my prime, and defeating me while I'm handicapped by this…as you put it 'half dead shell.' Now I think I'll give you a cold hard dose of reality…"

And with those words, the dying wizard used the last of his strength to hold his arm up and point it palm first at the young wizard, mumbling to himself under his breath. The three eyed boy's breath hitched as he realized that his dying opponent was aiming to get one last spell off. The middle Elric crawled toward the dark wizard, his only goal was to his opponent before he finished the incantation. Just before Harry's sword was about to connect with Snape's head, he heard the final line of the spell.

"Und auf der Atem des Schicksals, gegangen werden von diesem Ort …" which roughly translated from German to English to 'and on the breath of fate, be gone from this place'.

A flash lit the room, as Harry felt the sensation of being carried away. Then…nothing

* * *

The Hogwarts grounds, peaceful, serene.

KABOOOOOOOMMMMMM!

That peace was shattered as an unimaginable powerful explosion erupted from underground, propelling several tons of dirt into the air. Fire belched from the fissure as molten debris rained down.

All that was left within the crater was the charred body of Professor Snape, and the blackened and twisted remains of the Mirror of Erised.

Of Harry Potter, there was no sign.

**You know the drill read, review, and check out the challenge on my profile page.**


	20. Chapter 18: Going Under

**"All right people I'm back!" I proclaim grandly.**

**"It's**** about time...did you get me anything?" Zatanna smiled.**

**"Of course, it's in my pack." I gesture vaguely to my backpack in the corner.**

**"Yeah!" she cheers.**

**"Now onto business, I'd like to say thank you for having so much patience waiting for me to finish this chapter."**

**"Is this it?" she asks holding up a brown oval mask.**

**"No! Wait! That's the wrong bag! That's where I keep transformation masks!"**

**"GAH!" she yelped as my Goron mask latched onto her like some alien facehugger.**

**"Um...excuse me...we appear to be experiencing technical difficulties...I don't own any of this. I'm just doing it for kicks...so remember, if you're J.K Rowling or Hiromu Arakawa...I'm not doing this for a profit...so don't sue me please!"**

**"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? ZATANNA SMASH!"**

**"Um...gotta go!" I squeak, running for my life.**

Chapter 18: Going Under

No…it can't be! How is this possible?- Ed

The boy who lived let out a moan of pain. His whole body felt like it had been run through a meat grinder. He tried to move his arms and legs, only for a shooting pain to make him flinch. Two people conversing beside him was all the middle Elric could hear thanks to the bandages obscuring all three of his eyes.

"What is the patient's status?"

"Stable…for the moment. Whoever did this to him really put him through the ringer. Both his legs are broken, the hair on the back of his head and a good chunk of his scalp was torn out by the roots, he has massive laceration along his torso running from his right hip to his shoulder, it's a wonder he's even alive, let alone stable."

"What are the chances that he'll pull through the treatment?"

"About fifty-fifty."

"Hmmmm…do it."

The boy who lived felt the telltale coolness of his arm being swabbed, then the sting of an injection.

Then his world erupted into a white hot blaze of pain.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Sergeant Denny Brosh and second Lt. Maria Ross lingered outside the suite occupied by the Elric Brothers. For months, they had acted as the personal guard of the two boys. For the first several weeks, Ed resented having the two look over his shoulder. The two soldiers felt the same. Standing outside the same room, staring at the same stretch of wall for months on end got pretty old after a while.

"Those two are machines! They've been working on cracking that research code for the past four months! How long are they going to stay cooped up in there?" Ross's partner moaned.

"As long as necessary. They told me a week ago that they were close to a breakthrough. Hopefully, for all our sakes, we'll have a change of scenery soon." The female half of the duo shrugged.

"**NO F****** WAY!"** they heard Ed bellow.

Ross yanked her gun from its Holster and kicked the door in with a thunderous bang.

The two thirds of the Elric trio were on their feet and staring at the paper's that had been deciphering like they were looking at some unholy monster.

"No…this just can't be!" Al whispered.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the notes? Was there a mistake?" Ross blinked

"There's no mistake. And I wish we had never found these notes!" Ed snarled.

"What's wrong with them?" Brosh blinked.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? This is the work of the devil! I don't know how Marcoh got mixed up in all this, but this is beyond wrong!" Al scowled.

"The problem is the main ingredient for creating a philosopher's stone. It's plentiful, and deceptively easy to procure…" Ed mumbled, burying his face in his hands.

"What is it?" Ross prompted, against her better judgment.

"The main catalyst for the philosopher's stone formula…are human souls." The eldest Elric growled.

"You said Doctor Tim Marcho created this formula? I can't believe that some organization within the military would do something like this…" Ross uttered disbelievingly minutes later as all four of them looked over the notes for some flaw, some mistake that could have led to another translation.

"Sergeant Brosh, second lieutenant Ross…I have a request. I'd like the two of you to walk away and forget everything you heard." Ed said dully.

"But…Edward!" the sergeant protested.

"But nothing! If this is true, you two are better off pretending you were never here…" Al said sadly.

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side of central city

The house that belong to one of the City's first alchemists, a venerable woman by the name of Dante who taught many of the world's finest scientists, such as Izumi Curtis, and the iron blood alchemist, Basque Grand, was demolished. The outer walls were reduced to charred chunks of wood. Everyone inside had been killed.

But what caught the attention of the military police was what remained inside: seven other bodies were found in the destroyed home and how they died.

A dark haired woman was the first they discovered. She had been sliced in half from hip to shoulder, her body charred beyond recognition.

The largest of them was a creature half the size of the manor. It had multiple tentacle like limbs that were still twitching, even though its head had been separated from its body, which had apparently been stuffed to the point where it couldn't function.

The third they found was the most disconcerting. He was only a child. His eyes had been carved out and all four of its limbs torn off. It almost looked like he had been savaged by wild animals.

The fourth found was the odd duck of the group. All of the others were dark haired and fair skinned. This corpse was in what remained of the bathroom. The Military police had found the boy in the tub, what was odd was that the mystery person was apparently drowned in icy water.

The fifth corpse made the police more than a little uneasy. This body looked like it belonged to their beloved king Bradley. He looked like an entire gang of people had worked him over with sledge hammers. His limbs and were shattered to the point where his entire body had been reduced to a pulpy mess.

The sixth, was the only one that looked mostly intact. She was a beautiful dark haired woman. She was jammed into a refrigerator. The device had apparently been supercharged by a power surge and turned her into a human ice sculpture.

The seventh was in the basement. He had apparently fallen into the tank that fed the old fashioned oil heater. Long story short, he had been boiled alive.

The last corpse was Dante herself. Her death looked like it had been the quickest of them. Whoever had done this had lopped off her head. The frightening thing was that the head was nowhere to be found.

The investigation would go on for five long years before it was deemed unsolvable.

* * *

Several days later…

"So the Elric's haven't their room in days?" Armstrong blinked.

"I'm afraid not sir." Ross said contritely.

"Humph! It's would seem that they pushed themselves to the breaking point. The fatigue of working for so hard and so long finally caught up to them!" the muscular Major nodded sagely.

"It's only natural that the two of them would fall into a depression after so much heartbreak. They've spent the past several years searching for the stone. Only for it to fall out of their reach at the last second!" Brosh whispered.

"Just thinking about it gives me the shivers!" Ross shuddered.

"What are you two mumbling about?" Armstrong rumbled.

"NOTHING!" the pair squeaked.

**"YOU'RE ACTING VERY SUSPICIOUS!"** The major uttered, ripping his shirt off and flexing his muscles.

* * *

Meanwhile…in the Elrics's Suite…

"I'm so tired of this. Every time a promising lead crops up, something goes wrong and we start again from square one…" Ed moaned.

"Ed…are we ever going to get out bodies back? I don't want to live the rest of my life like this…" Al shuddered.

"Alphonse, don't think about it…um…there's something I want to talk to you about. But I've always been to scared to broach the subject…" the eldest brother said hesitantly.

"Major! Please wait a moment! The brothers are resting!" they heard second lieutenant Ross protest from outside the room.

**"BROTHER'S ELRIC! ARE YOU IN THERE? IT IS I, THE STRONGARM ALCHEMIST! OPEN THE DOOR!**" the large man roared.

"What should we do?" Al hissed.

"Just ignore him and he'll go away!" Ed sputtered.

**CRACK-A-BOOM!**

The door slammed inward as the knob and lock were ripped from the entry by the meaty fist of the Strong Arm Alchemist.

**"WHAT A TRAGEDY! TO THINK THAT THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE WOULD HOLD SUCH A HORRIBLE SECRET?** Armstrong wailed, weeping manly tears of sorrow.

Brosh and Ross grimaced.

**"TO THINK THAT THIS HELLISH RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED BY THE MILITARY! I SHALL NOT ALLOW THIS TO STAND!"** The large man proclaimed.

Ed glared at the duo.

"Don't look at us like that! When the major leans on you, you have to tell him what he wants to know!" Ross sputtered.

"It's tragic that such a thing happened. Sometimes the truth really can be cruel." Armstrong nodded sagely.

Ed stiffened, "The truth…" he whispered.

"What's wrong brother?" Al blinked.

"Marcho's letter. It had a postscript that said that said to look for 'the truth within the truth'. I didn't understand it at first, but now…" Ed grinned as he pulled a map of Central City from the pile.

"According to this map, there are four active alchemical research labs in central." Ed gestured to each one in turn.

"Then this one would be the most suspicious: Marcoh's old stomping ground; Lab three!" Armstrong nodded.

"Not so much. One of my first assignments when I became an alchemist was to inspect the labs. There wasn't much going on there…" Ed uttered sourly, until his eyes caught an exed out building on the south end of the city.

"What's that?" the fullmetal alchemist blinked.

"According to this city guide, there used to be five alchemy labs…but the last one's currently deserted and scheduled for demolition…" Ross orated.

"This is the one we want. Take a look at this, there's a prison right next to it…" Ed gestured to the another nearby building.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Brosh asked.

"Simple…the key ingredient for creating a stone is human souls. They supposedly execute prisoners there, but what if they actually send the condemned to the lab instead. Bam! Instant raw materials!" the eldest growled.

"The inmates…were raw materials?" the female half of the duo flinched.

"I don't feel any better about it than you. But there was a reason we told you two to stay out of it!" Al pointed out.

"I shall delve into this matter myself. Rest assured I will keep you informed of what I discover! Until then, the second lieutenant and sergeant will keep an eye on this while you two stay here!" Armstrong nodded, gathering up the maps and research material.

"**WHAT?"** Ed and Al sputtered.

**"YOU TWO WERE GOING TO SNEAK OUT AND INVESTIGATE THIS WERN'T YOU? I WON'T ALLOW IT! EVEN THOUGH THERE MAY BE A WAY TO RESTORE YOUR BODIES HIDDEN THERE, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING _CHILDREN_****SHOULD DO!"** Armstrong roared, looming over the shell shocked brothers.

"All right! All right! We get it! We'll stay here..." Ed yelped, backing away.

* * *

"Like Hell we will!" Ed scowled several minutes later as he and his brother slinked along the shadows toward the abandoned fifth lab.

"Humph! Aren't all these patrols a little much for an abandoned building?" Al asked as she looked at the guards patrolling the front gate.

"Transmuting a new entry is out. The flash'll alert the guards, so that means the only solution is the old up and over!" Ed smirked.

Al cupped his hands together and his older brother put his booted foot into the clasped metal gloves.

"Allez-oops!" Al chirped as he heaved his older brother into the air.

The fullmetal Alchemist patched onto the barbed wire with his metallic hand, and grinned as he pulled it from its moorings and snaked the makeshift rope down to his waiting sibling. The two made it over the wall with no trouble.

Ed grinned as he spied a ventilation shaft ready and waiting. He pulled the grate off and heaved his body inside, motioning for Al to wait there.

_"Heh! Harry gonna hate missing this!" _the oldest brother smirked as he pushed himself along.

* * *

CLUNK!

CLUNK!

CLUNK!

A trio of armored figures listened as someone or something crawled through the duct above their heads toward the ritual room.

"Oi! Forty eight!"

"What is it sixty six? We were in the middle of a nice nap."

"I think we have some entertainment lined up for tonight!"

"I think you should shut up." The third one spat.

"Aw…whatsa matter seventeen? Someone steal yer chewtoy?" the skull faced guardian sneered.

"Just be quiet. I'm not in the mood to deal with you tonight Barry." The dog armored guard growled.

"Well too bad, cause you and me and turnin' the big one into chuck roast while slicer introduces the little one to the business end of his sword.

"And is I say no?"

"Then I say…**heel boy!**"

"Agh...GRAH! Why you twisted son of a…URG…GAH….**grawr**! **ARF ARF!"**

"Good doggie! Maybe I'll give you a treat later." The sadistic one tittered.

"You really shouldn't tease him you know." Forty eight said softly.

"Oh? And why not?"

"You know what they say about an abused dog slipping off the leash to maul its owner. And if prisoner seventeen ever slips off his leash, you'll be in pieces before you can blink."

"That's my business. Me and fido have some chump roast to chop!" the skull faces one cackled as he slipped a leash and collar around the transformed one's neck and synced it tight.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the compound…

Al paced back and forth as he waited for his brother to make a reappearance.

Sighing dejectedly, he leaned against the wall.

Clink! Cl-clink!

Al stiffened when he heard the sound of metallic nails or claws clicking against the pavement to his left, accompanied by the sound of a softly whistled tune above him.

"RAWG!"

"GOT YA!"

The youngest of the Elric trio somersaulted forward, dodging the lunge of what appeared to be an iron plated canine, and the mad dive of a man in a skull helmeted suit of armor. The dog's suit it was form fitting and even had a series of interlocking plates for the tail. On its side was stamped the number seventeen in bold back ink. The helmet covered the entire head so Al couldn't see what breed the dog was, only that it was the size of a small horse.

The cleaver wielding fighter was another matter entirely. He was short and squat. His helmet was made with a leering skull for the front face plate and had a long mane of white hair growing from the back. Whether this was part of the suit or the person's actual hair was a mystery for the moment.

"Who the hell are you?" Al sputtered.

"Heh, you're pretty spry for a big fellah! But then again this wouldn't be any fun if you weren't!" the armored person giggled as he pulled his cleaver form the dirt, the dog trotting to his side.

"You asked me who I am? Well I'll tell ya. I'm number sixty six, and this is seventeen!" he said, patting the dog on the head.

"RAWR!" the dog snarled, snapping at the cleaver wielder's hand.

"Bad dog! Don't interrupt! Now as I was saying. That's the title I go by when I work. I got a real name of course, but if you hear it, you'll go and piss yourself. So I think I'll keep it a secret for now!" Sixty six smirked as he dropped the leash and hefted his cleaver and butcher knife.

* * *

Ed gaped as he stepped into a wide open chamber. Pillars supported the ceiling. In the center of the room was a massive quadruple transmutation circle. Each one inside the other with nodes on the edges tying them together.

"Is this what they used to transmute the stone?" Ed whispered.

"You are correct!" a voice rumbled from the shadows.

Out of the shadows stepped a figure in armor. His covering resembled something similar to the pictures of samurai armor Ed's father had shown him when he was little, before the bastard left them.

"I don't know how a child like you made your way here, but if you want to learn about the stone, you'll have to get through me. I'm called number forty eight. And I'm one of the guardians of this forbidden place. I must slaughter all outsiders who venture here. Don't think badly of me child, but I have to kill you." The guard uttered.

"Ditto. Don't feel too badly about losing to a kid!" Ed scowled, transmuting his hand into a blade.

"En guard!" the sword user barked as he closed the distance.

CLANK!

Ed flinched as he ducked under the blow, only to feel his arm vibrate from the glancing blow to his automail.

"So, you have a steel limb that extends to your shoulder, that's the only thing that saved you from having your arm taken off."

"Don't take me lightly!" the short blond snarled, jabbing at his opponents face. The armored for swayed to the side and lashed out with frightening speed at his opponents head. Ed's arm shot up to block the blow, Ed parried it and nailed the veiled armor in the stomach.

CL-O-O-O-ONG!

The eldest brother stiffened and hopped back out of slicing range.

"I know that sound. You…you're hollow on the inside aren't you?" The blond whispered.

"I'm surprised you figured it out."

"Don't be. I spar with someone like you on a daily basis."

"So there's someone like me on the surface?"

"Kind of sort of. But what I want to know is who was stupid enough besides me to transmute a soul into a suit of armor."

"I'll tell you that if you can defeat me. I was known as slicer while I was alive two years ago. My skills with a sword were good enough to earn me the 'honor' of being used as raw materials for the creation of this places watchdog." the living armor snorted as he flipped the face plate of his helm up, revealing the mark underneath.

"This is my blood seal. If you can score a hit on this, then you will defeat me."

"That's awfully generous of you!"

"Not really. I can tell that you have some skill. But you are incapable of beating me without a handicap."

"You certainly think highly of yourself!"

"It's not arrogance, its fact. Not have at thee!" Slicer barked, slipping into a guard stance.

* * *

"Damn it! We've been had!" Maria Ross snarled, eyeing the open window that the brothers escaped through.

"This isn't good! Major Armstrong is going to have our heads on a platter for this!" Brosh whined.

"Come on! We're leaving!" the second lieutenant spat, barging out the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Isn't it obvious? Lab five! Now move it or lose it!"

* * *

CLANG!

Ed used the flat of his arm blade to deflect the forward stab.

BANG!

And bitch-slapped Slicer across the face place, making his head spin in place like a top.

CLINK!

The eldest brother lunged intent on stabbing the animated golem between the eyes and ending the battle, only for Slicer to block the blow, despite his head being on backwards.

"What the…AWK!" the fullmetal alchemist yelped as his opponent sank to one knee and lashed out with a devastating slash.

Ed flipped backwards and winced as he felt his blood flow from a gash in the shoulder.

He let his hand fall out from under him and rolled as Slicer lashed out with a horizontal strike of his katana.

STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! STAB! The animated armor jabbed wildly at Ed, forcing the teen to roll as fast as his tired body could to keep ahead of the jabs.

Finally, after fifteen seconds of dodging, the blond came to a stop several feet from the armor. He sat there panting as he catalogued the cuts, aches, and pains that littered his torso.

"I must admit, I am surprised that you lasted this long little monkey. Most of my opponents rarely last a quarter of the time you challenged me! But you won't last much longer. I can see how tired and wounded you are. You're friend is probably being dealt with by my companions as we speak." Slicer rumbled.

"Are they strong?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are your companions strong?"

"Yes. Although not as powerful as me."

"Good 'cause my little brother, when it comes to hand to hand, is stronger than me. I've never beaten him in a fight." Ed smirked.

"AWOOO!"

POW!

Al grabbed seventeen by the tail and whirled him around, letting go of the metallic animal and sending him flying straight into Barry, knocking them both ass over teakettle.

The skull faced golem shoved the canine off him and lunged for Al's throat.

STAB!

"Why?"

JAB!

"Won't?"

SLICE!

"You?"

CUT!

"DIE?"Barry shrieked.

"RAWR!" Seventeen barked, snagging Al's hand in his metallic teeth.

THUNK!

Barry stabbed his butcher knife through the crack between the joints in Al's armor.

"I'M GONNA CUT ME A SHOULDER ROAST!" Barry cackled, lashing out with his cleaver.

CLANK!

"ARF!"

Al flexed his arm and snapped the knife, sending seventeen tumbling.

CLANG!

Ed's youngest brother nailed Barry across the chops with and open palm strike, knocking him on his butt and sending his helmet flying, revealing that there was nothing underneath the outer shell.

"Damn it! You knocked my head off you fucker. Urg, I guess that you're tougher than I thought. I guess I might need a little help…**Shake boy!"**

**"URG! GAH! **DAMN IT! That hurt!" seventeen snarled, as he suddenly grew from a canine shaped armor to human.

"How…how did…how can you…" Al gawked.

"There's a story behind that." Barry shrugged as he stuck his head back in place.

"Ya see, this dip was a state alchemist, but he did something stupid and they stuck him in here. And now mister 'hot shot state alchemist' is a walking science experiment!" Barry shrugged, throwing an arm around the former canine.

"Don't touch me!" the alchemist spat, throwing him off.

"Aw! Whatsa matter? Don't you love Barry anymore?"

"No."

"Aw well…I never liked you anyway! Now back to me! There once was a butcher named Barry who lived in Central City, he loved to chop meat all day, every day. But one day Barry decided that cows and pigs weren't good enough for Barry. So he decided to find something else to chop!" Barry smiled fondly.

"Sicko." Seventeen grunted.

"You know it baby! Now Barry managed to kill twenty three people before he was caught and sent to the gallows. Or so the public was told. The truth was that Barry was pardoned on the condition that he use his skills to guard this facility once he had his soul taken from his body and put in a hunk of metal. Yeah, that's right, you're talking to the one, the only: **Barry the Chopper!"** the former butcher proclaimed.

"Who?" Al blinked.

"Somehow, I don't think he's terrified of you. Seventeen deadpanned.

"Just…just shaddup! How can someone not know about me? I struck terror in the hearts of Citizens of Central City for a over a year!" the skull faced killer sputtered.

"I lived in a little town called Resembool…news from Central doesn't reach that far…" Al shrugged.

"So much for the famous **Barry the Chopper!**" Seventeen needled.

"Didn't I tell you to shaddup? So why don't you shaddup! I haven't even gotten the chance to frighten him with my trump card! How often do you see a animated suit of armor! In no time he'll be sayin' 'ACK' or 'Oh my god, what a freak!" Barry cackled.

Al rolled his eyes and pulled off his head.

"ACK! Oh my god, what a freak!" Barry screeched.

"That hurts coming from a psycho like you." The youngest Elric shot back.

"Whatever, now how the hell did you get that way?"

"I had an accident and my big brother tied my soul to this suit of armor."

"Oh, I see…a 'brother'? Geh-heh-heh! That's rich!" Barry tittered.

"What the hell are you going on about?" seventeen scowled.

"I was just thinking, Brotherly love is a beautiful thing, even if it ain't real!" sixty six drawled.

"What do you mean?" Al narrowed his eyes.

"Well, I got to thinkin', you aren't real. What if your personality is fabricated by your brother. All your memories, everything that makes you real... is a lie."

"But that's not possible. I know I'm a human being with a soul. My name is Alphonse Elric."

"What a crock! How can you prove that that thing that animates you is a soul? How can you prove something exists if you can't see it? You're brother and everybody around you is lying through their teeth! Where's the proof that Alphonse Elric really existed? Where's the flesh and blood proof!"

"But…but what about you?" Al pointed out.

"Freeze! Stop where you are?" one of the security guards that manned the front gate barked, cocking his gun.

THUNK!

Barry's cleaver made short work of the guard, splitting his head in half like an over ripe melon.

"You were asking about me? The answer is quite simple. I love cutting the meat from anything, living people, animals, you name it: I chopped it! The proof I exist is simple: **I kill therefore I am!" **Barry bellowed.

Seventeen grimaced. He had seen Barry play these types of mind games countess times before with countless victims. One that butcher got into his opponents head, the fight was all but over.

Meanwhile, Al was going into a tailspin, _"What if it's true? What if Ed, Harry, Winry, Granny Pinkao and all of my friends and family have been lying to me all this time? How do I prove my soul exists if I don't have solid proof?" _the youngest Elric mentally whimpered as Barry advanced on him, his cleaver still glistening with fresh blood.

* * *

Using the last of his strength, Ed vaulted over Slicer's overhead cut and grabbed onto the long trailing strings that were tied to the top of the helmet, yanking the helm, blood seal and all, off the body. The armor dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

"Damn it! I thought I had you…" Slicer scowled.

"Nope. And now that your body's nothing but an inanimate hunk of metal…I have a few questions I want to ask you." Ed smirked.

"About the stone?"

"Yup!"

"I'm not telling you squat."

Ed glowered at the helmet, "I beat you fair and square! So act like you're beat, will ya?"

"Oh, but I haven't lost yet…"

THUNK!

Ed gasped as the previously inactive sword gouged a deep gash in his side. He threw the head down and whirled around, seeing that the body of the armor was still mobile.

"But…but…" Ed sputtered.

"Who said that there had to be one soul tied to a suit of armor." The previously silent body said smugly.

_"Urg, I wasn't expecting this. I'm exhausted and woozy. I won't last for more than a minute given the state I'm in…" _the fullmetal alchemist thought.

"Oh, and just to be fair, I'll show you my blood seal too." The body drawled, inclining his neck and revealing the seal on his neck plate.

"Don't underestimate me!" Ed snarled, slapping his hands together.

I'm not gonna give you a chance to transmute!" the younger of the slicer siblings spat, slamming the hilt of his blade into Ed's already bruised ribs.

"GAH!" the blond gasped lurching back.

_"No…it can't end this way…I can't die here…"_ the alchemist thought desperately.

Suddenly, Ed was able to see the situation with utter clarity.

Much like Scar, he had a goal he needed to accomplish.

But unlike the serial killer…he wasn't unwilling sacrifice the lives of those around him like meaningless pawns.

"But then again, you'd be surprised what you can live through…" Ed whispered, clapping his hands together.

"I thought I told you I wouldn't let you transmute?" the younger brother roared.

_ZAAAAAKKKKKK_

The metal around the middle of the torso was vaporized in an instant. Scar's alchemical breakdown technique did its work perfectly, cutting the armor body in two, but leaving the seal in tact.

"DAMN IT! You just had to pull off a win at the last second, didn't you?" the upper part of the body sputtered indignantly.

"Um…you're not gonna tell me there were three brothers and those legs are going to kick my butt…right?" Ed said weakly.

"No." the two armor bound siblings chorused.

"Good. Now its time to spill the beans. Tell me everything you know about the stone." Ed growled.

"No. Now get it over with and destroy us." The elder brother ordered.

"Spare me. Do you knuckleheads really think I'd play the part of a murderer?"

"Humph. You're too soft kid. To be a murderer, the thing you kill has to be human…" the older brother uttered.

"Yeah right. The moment I accept that you dorks aren't human, I'd have to do the same for my littlest brother; the guy I told you about earlier."

"A little brother? How amusing!" the elder chortled.

"What is?" the younger slicer sibling blinked.

"Since the day we could walk, the two of us have done everything we could to survive. We lied, cheated, stole, and killed. And thus society labeled us as monsters. It's ironic; this is the first time we've been treated as humans. And to have it happen after we traded in our bodies and souls is the most paradoxical thing I could have imagined." The elder brother snorted dryly.

"Brother…please, if you say anymore they'll punish you!"

"We're both dead anyway. Once they find out that we failed; we're dead for certain. So as once act of defiance…I'll tell you everything I know boy." The helmet deadpanned.

CRACK!

"GAGH!"

Ed's eyes bulged when the helmet levitated into the air and crumpled like a tin can.

"Forty eight always did like to gossip, didn't he son?"

"Yep. That _Dummkopf_ was too talkative for his own good…mom."

"Now remember prongslet, do your mom and dad proud and kick that runt's ass. But don't kill him. We need that shrimp alive…more or less.

"No…it can't be! How is this possible? What are you doing here Harry?" Ed gawked as he gazed at the black clad figure flanked by the mystery woman from months earlier and a skinny man with short black hair and hazel eyes.

"Sorry to disappoint you 'brother' but Harry Potter Elric isn't available at the moment. And for the record…you can call me sin." The homunculi that used to be Ed's brother said.

**"Now remember folks, Read, review, and check out the challenge on my profile page. Please look it over, the thing has been up for months and not one person's tried their hand at writing it." I whisper from my hiding place.**

**"GORON ZATANNA SMASH PUNY HUMAN!" the mask wearing sorceress bellowed.**

**"Ack! This is Sorakage Sama signing off...hopefully not for the last time!" I squeak.**


	21. Chapter 18 and a half: Omake Special II

**I stand on a stage as a spotlight swings onto me.**

**"Now, contrary to what some might believe, rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated. I'm now on Christmas vacation and..."**

**Suddenly, the light swings off me and to my left.**

**"As I was saying..."**

**Swing!**

**"As I was..."**

**Swing!"**

**"Knock it off!" I bark, firing a ki blast at my lighting crew/muse, Zatanna, Zaranna.**

**"As I was saying, I'm back and am going to get as many chapters out as I can before school starts again. I don't own any of this. All the elements of this story belong to their respective owners. Now onto the first installment of a two chapter update!" I smile.**

Omake special II

It was later that night when Pinako and Winry cornered Harry.

"Are you going to tell us what happened or not?" the blond girl scowled.

"You know I can't! Ed would murder me if I told you what happened to us!" Harry whined.

"Tough cookies! I'm not buying that tripe your older brother slung about a sparring accident with Mustang! I have all the time in the world you keep you here until you spill like an overturned drinking cup!" Winry's grandmother scowled.

"And remember…we have ways of making you talk!" Winry glared as she held up a particularly sharp tool.

THWACK!

Pinako slapped her granddaughter upside the head.

"We don't harm the patients!" the Rockbell matriarch snapped.

"Oh, I'm sure she wasn't going to harm me…much." Ed smirked with a feral look in his eye as he dragged Winry off by her ponytail.

"CUT!" I bark as Ed slammed the door and padlocked it.

"Who fed Ed Viagra?" I ask angrily?

* * *

"And I'm telling you this magic stuff is just a bunch of hooey!"

"Then why are you walkin' away?" the brown haired man gulped.

"What are you talking about?" Harry sputtered.

Matsa gestured to Harry's feet, and much to the boy's horror, he found that they were moving of their own accord, right to the front door.

"HEY! Stop feet! I'm ordering you to halt! Whoa feet, whoa!" Harry yelped as he involuntarily whirled around and ran at the house full tilt.

BANG!

And skull first into it.

"I got a luverly bunch of coconuts…" Harry slurred.

"Yo Director, I think we're gonna Need another Harry, at least until this one get his head back in straight…" Al grinned weakly.

* * *

Harry wiped the tears from his eyes and stared levelly at the giant bearded man: "No offense, this was a nice prank and all, but you can go back to whoever put you up to this and tell them that I'm not that gullible. There is no such thing as magic. I don't know how you transmuted those bunny ears onto Ed's skull…"

"But…but!" Hagrid sputtered as he tried to get a grasp on the situation.

"But I'm not going to any 'magic school'! I have responsibilities here! I have neither the time nor the desire to go a abroad" Harry said hotly.

"Speaking of which…change me back!" Ed bellowed.

"But why? You look sooooo cute! Just like that cute furry, the White Rabbit form Alice in wonderland!" Winry cooed as she threw her arms around the oldest brother and stroked his new appendages. An action which turned Ed thought processes to mush and left him purring like a contented cat.

"Who you calling a Furry? Ed sputtered, despite the fact that his leg was still moving a mile a minute.

"Why you cutie!" Winry giggled as her fingers found the sweet spot.

"NOW WAIT A COTTON PICKIN...no...more to the right...NO! I...WILL...NOT... SUBMIOOOOORRRRRRRR..."

"A digital camera, Five hundred dollars. Picture of Ed looking like an idiot: priceless!" mustang snickered as he snapped an entire memory stick worth of pictures.

* * *

"H-H-Harry…you have a phone call." The Rockbell matriarch stuttered.

Shrugging, Harry stepped into the side room and held the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?" harry said uncertainly.

"**Seven days…"** an unearthly voice whispered.

Click!

Harry Hung up.

"Must have been a telemarketer…" the Evil eye Alchemist shrugged.

* * *

"Try this: Eleven inches, made of willow with a core of Dragon Heartstring. You should know that no two of my wands are alike. And it is proven that the wand chooses the wielder." The silver eyed man said.

Shrugging his shoulders, Harry gave the wand a flick.

BLAAAAT!

The wand made a sound akin to a man breaking wind and spewed a cloud of noxious gas in Ovilander's face.

FWUMP!

The old man toppled over in a heap.

"CUT!" I barked.

"Um, I think we're gonna need another wand maker…" Harry grinned weakly.

* * *

The three eyed boy carefully transmuted the tip of his metallic finger into a scalpel. He looked at the wand (that he had lifted from Ovilander's shop when the old man wasn't looking) like one would when facing down a poisonous reptile.

"I just make an incision down the middle, and I'm probably going to find some kind of hi-tech equipment. How else would you explain how this thing works? It's probably just a fancy flash light. Only one way to find out…" Harry thought.

With utmost care, the alchemist gently inserted the scalpel into the wand and made a quick incision down the middle.

"Ok, let's see what we have…here?" Ok, of all the things I was expecting, this was at the bottom of my list." The middle brother blinked.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

KA-BOOM!

The bomb inside the wand blew Harry to kingdom come.

"It's a good thing I invested in a stunt Harry…" I goggled.

* * *

The next several hours passed without further incident, that is if you don't count Hermione and Ron almost coming to blows, culminating in the latter storming out in a huff while the former cursed venomously.

"You know, if you like her so much…you should just ask her out on a date instead of biting her head off!" Harry nodded sagely.

"Me like Her! You barking mad!" Ron sputtered.

"Nope, I seen it and smelled it before!"

"Smelled it?" Neville blinked dubiously.

"Yep, one of love sickness's primary symptoms is the dreaded love reek! That sent of Belgian chocolate and roses is a sure indicator of the muggle disease otherwise known as the dreaded 'love virus'."

"A virus? What do I do?" the redhead gasped.

"The cure is pretty simple, you have to go up to the girl, and kiss her full on the lips."

Ron was out the door before harry even finished the sentence.

A few seconds later.

"PIG! Hermione shrieked.

FWAP!

The sound of palm meeting cheek was heard.

Ron stumbled back into the compartment a few seconds later with a bright red hand print adorning his right cheek.

"Totally worth it..." he said happily.

"CUT!" I bellowed.

* * *

Taking a seat next to Ron, Harry filtered out the chatter and meditated, like Izumi Curtis taught him. Better to prepare him to deal with Snape, if the rumors were anything to go by.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"Harry, Snape's coming!"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

"Potter…"

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"Potter! Are you listening?"

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Find your center.

"POTTER!" A voice bellowed in his ear.

"ARGH!" the middle Elric yelped as he almost jumped high enough to cling to the ceiling like a startled cat

Only for him to lose his grip a few seconds later…

WHAM!

"Potter remind me to deduct a bajillion point from Ravenclaw once I get the feeling back in my lower body…" Snape uttered weakly from under Harry.

* * *

"I don't know at the moment…but it'll be unpleasant! I can promise you that!

"D-D-D-D-D…" Neville stuttered as he pawed at Harries nightshirt.

"Knock it off! I'm trying to keep an ear out for Filch!" Ron hissed.

"DU-DU-DU-DU-DU…" the frightened Gryffindor whimpered.

"For the love of…what's going…MOTHER OF MADNESS!" the redhead screeched.

"DUCK!" Neville yelled.

"A duck? Where?" Hermione asked, though she would later fervently deny having said anything.

"There!" Harry pointed.

"QUACK!" the waterfowl warbled, diving at Hermione head.

"CUT!" I bark.

"ARGH! someone get this thing off of me!" she cackled as she wrestled with the avian agressor.

* * *

Harry grimaced as he made his decision, he turned around and dove after the orb at breakneck speed. The distance between rememberall seemed to evaporate in the blink of an eye as harry dove after it.

Three hundred feet.

Two hundred and Fifty feet.

One Hundred feet.

Fifty feet.

Ten feet.

Five feet.

One foot.

WHAM!

"We're gonna need another stunt Harry!" I wince.

* * *

"No! No! NO! You're doing the wand movements all wrong! You're flapping your arms like an ostrich doing a mating dance, when you're supposed to be doing a gentle swish and flick. And you have to make the gar nice and long on wingardium!" Hermione admonished.

"Well you do it if you're so clever!" Ron scowled.

"Fine…wingardium leviosa!" Hermione cast.

Ron's jaw dropped as the table hovered and orbited his head gently.

WHAM!

The spell slipped, dropping the table on top of him.

"Medic!" Ron whimpered weakly.

"That'll teach him not to hog the spotlight!" Hermione sniffed primly.

* * *

It was several days later that Harry secluded himself in a clearing deep in the forbidden forest. He examined the card: It was small, about the size of Harry's hand. Embossed on it was a picture of a gold plated dragon standing on two legs. At the top was the name Winged dragon of Ra.

"Let's see if Hermione's info about this was right: Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight. Envelop the deserts with your glow, and cast your rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers from deep within so that together we may win. Appear in this shadow game as I call your name: Winged Dragon of Ra!"

The sky was lit with a golden glow that could be seen in all directions.

**"INFIDELS! Thou hast angered thou has angered the god of trading cards! Now you will never again see the light of day!" **a loud voice roared.

"Oh boy…" Harry squeaked.

CRACK!

Lightning struck a tree a foot from where Harry was standing.

"Whew! It's a good thing lightning never strikes twice in the same…"

CRACK-A-BOOM!

"AWK!"

"We're gonna need another stunt Harry! And someone clean that up before it stains." I said.

* * *

Snape fingered his hair and pulled, revealing that his greasy hair was in fact a wig. He turned around and revealed the back of his head. Showing the most horrific Face that harry had ever seen, its skin was chalk white, with red glowing eyes, and two slits in place of a nose.

"Voldemort…" Harry hissed.

"Indeed! I am Kira…er..I mean Voldermort."

"Oh boy, the obligatory Deathnote reference. I never thought we could sink so low." Al groaned.

**Remember folks, read, review and check out the challenge on my profile page.**


	22. Chapter 19: Brother's Keeper

**And as I promised, Here's the second half of the update.**

Chapter 19: Brother's keeper

**A month and a half earlier…**

Lust glared daggers at the writhing form of Harry Potter/Elric. Doctor Hermiln injected vial after vial of philosopher's stone compound into Harry and it didn't stick!

Sure, his body tore itself apart and healed seconds later, but no homunculus personality was surfacing. Something was blocking Harry from reaching the threshold and transforming.

It was maddening!

"Damn it! I'm all for torturing any idiot that crosses us but this is getting ridiculous!" Envy spat.

"You call that torture? That idiot truth did a better job working me over than you clowns…" Harry slurred, a dried sheet of sweat glistening amongst the patches of dried blood on his bared skin.

"Please let me kill this pest? I wanna hurt him!" the homunculus of resentment hissed furiously, almost foaming at the mouth.

"Very well. This project is a failure. You might as well dispose of him. He was such a promising sacrifice too." Lust pouted.

Envy grinned, his skin rippling as he prepared to turn into something that would rip the middle Elric brother in to tiny bite sized pieces.

The short haired artificial human ripped the bandages away that masked the pre-teens three eyes.

"Take a good look kid, 'cause I'm gonna be the one to make this nice and slow!" Lust's partner leered.

All three of Harry's eyes focused on Envy and Lust.

That was when he began screaming.

Envy leaped back as Harry's skin began to rupture for the umpteenth time that night.

"What's going on? I thought the stones weren't taking hold!" Lust barked.

Meanwhile, an event was taking place in Harry's mind.

One that would change the course of events to come.

* * *

Harry felt like he was falling down a deep dark void. It was so hard to open his eyes. He was so tired. Just moving his fingers and toes took more effort than lifting a hundred pound weight.

_"What's going on? Am I dreaming?"_ he though blearily as he drifted…drifted…. drifted…

FLASH!

A bright light flared in front of his eyes, momentarily blinding the Alchemist. When his vision cleared, the first thing he felt was the rough sand underneath his feet as the surf washed around his ankles.

"Where am I?" Harry gaped as he gazed at the virtual paradise.

"Harry…" a melodious voice whispered. The boy's eyes bulged as he saw none other than Ichihara Yūko standing in the surf. His eyes widened even further when saw that she was wearing a delicate white cheongsam with gold dragon embroidery that wrapped around her, the Chinese style gown was slit up the side to reveal a pair of shapely legs. The fact that it was white silk dress that was being splashed by the waves did not escape his notice.

Although he was distracted from the oh so tempting sight before him by the humongous tidal wave that approaching them at a rapid pace.

"Hey! Watch out!" Harry bellowed as he charged through at water at his friend/ benefactor. Time seemed to move at a glacial pace as he slogged through the sea water to reach her.

SPLLOOOOOSSSHH!

The wave washed over the duo and knocked Harry ass over teakettle. He tumbled backwards as he struggled against the current. Much to his surprise, none other than Yūko was standing, her feet planted as if nothing was happening, her hand held out to him, beseeching him.

KA-SPLASH!

Harry broke the surface of the water and looked around for his benefactor, who was nowhere to be seen.

He looked over his shoulder and blinked at the sight of Hermione, standing on the beach he had just vacated. The girl shot him a winning smile as he stumbled drunkenly toward her.

As the middle Elric neared her, he noticed that her expression turned to one of shock and alarm. He looked over his shoulder and saw that blue comets were plummeting toward them at an alarming speed. One in particular glowed very brightly, he focused on it and gaped in shock.

The plummeting object was him. An exact replica of him right down to the tiniest detail was shooting toward the water at an alarming speed.

SPLASH!

The replica impacted the water, kicking up a shockwave that sent Harry flying.

Harry sat up, rubbing his aching head. His eyes widened as the color bled from the world around him, transforming the paradise into something drastically different.

Where there was once crystal clear water, a sandy beach, and palm trees, now was a barren wasteland. The trees were now had bare branches and looked to be rotting from disease. The sand was now rock hard scorched earth. The only thing that remained the same was the crystal water.

Harry looked down into the water and spied his reflection looking back at him. But the reflection was different. His doppelganger's hair was bone white. And his normally tanned skin was pale as death. His normally bright green eyes were a dusky purple. The pre-teen narrowed his eyes when he saw that the pupils of his reflection were cat like slits.

SPLASH!

"GURK!"

The evil eye alchemist let out a strangled gurgle when his reflection reached through the water and grabbed him around the throat.

"What…the hell?" Harry slurred as he tried to pry the grasping arm away.

'Sorry bro. But I'm afraid that this is a hostile takeover. I'm in charge of this body now. I'll be sure to take **good** care of it!" the pale facsimile tittered.

CRACK!

Harry's clone backhanded him across the face and flipped him over, slamming him head first into the placid surface of the water which shattered like glass upon impact.

The evil eye alchemist shook his head and got to his feet. He gasped in surprise when he saw that his doppelganger was standing on the surface above him.

The middle Elic narrowed his eyes and clapped the palms of his hands together.

He grasped his wrist as electricity crackled around his hand. He could feel it melting the metallic flesh of his automail but a single limb was worth it to put this freak in his place.

CRACK!

Harry let out a yelp of shock as his fist slammed into the barrier. The impact reverberated up his limb and left him feeling like he punched battle ship armor.

The truth of the matter hit him like a ton of bricks.

He was a prisoner in his own mind.

* * *

Lust and Envy watched as the pre-teen's thrashing died down. The Homunculus of desire smirked as the color leeched from Harry's hair and face. Envy grinned wolfishly as the smell of sizzling flesh signaled their son's Ouroboros tattoo burning itself into his right cheek.

"Gah! I feel like a f*$&^%# Hippogriff ran me over!" the new member of their brotherhood spat.

"Welcome to the world…son!" Lust grinned.

"Nice to meetcha mom, pop! The name's sin!" their 'child' smirked, revealing sharp fangs.

* * *

Several days later…

Sin knelt before the shadowy figure of father. The being that brought his 'parents' and well as his assorted uncles together.

"Rise child so that I may look at you…" their leader drawled, leaning forward revealing aristocratic features framed by long blond hair.

"What do you wish of me?" the thing that was once Harry Potter Elric asked, looking his grandfather in the eye.

"You have great potential. You will train with Sloth, Envy, and Lust, and greed to hone your powers."

"So what can the little shit do?" A sarcastic voice sneered.

Lust glowered as her irreverent brother Greed strolled into the underground chamber.

"That is none of your concern yet. But spread the news to your siblings. I have recalled Sloth, and concocted a plan to put an end to those frauds who dare to call themselves Homunculi once and for all!" their leader proclaimed.

"It's about damn time. Those fucker clones have been a pain in our ass for far too long! If I had a religious bone in my body I would have been praying for the day you grew a pair and let us take the fight to them!" the homunculus of insatiability leered, his arm glowing as the skin was replaced by unbreakable carbon.

"Watch your mouth! You would still be Dante's bitch if it weren't for father!" Envy spat

"Don't remind me I may have been that hag's lover before I croaked, but the fact that she was willing to rip me out of the hereafter just so she could knock boots with my perfect self again was a little too much for my taste! I'm greedy as hell, always out for myself. She always said it would be the death of me. She pulled my strings. But now I've cut them for good!" Sin's spiky haired uncle grunted.

* * *

A month later…

Lust, Envy, and Sin stuck to the shadows as Greed ran along the rooftops above.

"Remember, the plan is simple. The four of us will go through the front door and raise as much hell as possible as a distraction. There's little doubt that their get us eventually. But that's where our trump card comes in." Lust explained.

"I got it. When those two are in position, that's when all hell breaks loose and we separate that freak Dante's head from her body." Sin smirked.

_"You're all a bunch of sick animals, you know that?"_ Sin heard Harry think angrily.

"Like your one to talk Mr. 'Bring Mommy and Daddy back'! By the way, thanks for the parents!" Sin shot back.

_"…"_ Harry replied.

"All right, we're less than a mile from Dante's current residence….Wait! We're not alone" Envy hissed.

Sin narrowed his eyes and lunged at a patch of shadows.

"EEK! LET GO OF DOBBY! YOU IS NOT HARRY POTTER!" a high pitched voice squealed.

"You got that right you…you….little whatever you are! Now stop squirming!" Sin snarled as the sound of his fist impacting the creatures skull echoed through the alley way.

Sin dragged the tiny bandaged form. It had bulbous eyes, dark brown skin, and pointed elfin ears. All it wore was a dirty, tattered pillowcase.

"Weird little thing isn't it?" Envy grunted, picking up the prone form of Dobby and dangling him upside down by his leg.

"Whatever he is, he knew my host's name. So it's probably magical." Sin shrugged.

"Better do away with it just in case." Lust sighed as she extended her finger lances.

FLASH!

Lust yelped as Dobby waved his hand in a wide arc and lit the alleyway with a bright flash, blinding the trio.

Envy screeched as Dobby sank his teeth into the shape shifter's hand.

Sin went down like a ton of bricks as the house elf nailed him in the stomach with a quick spell.

Lust lunged for the creature, but it disappeared with a pop of displaced air.

"Let's get going. There have been far too many delays for my taste…" Envy spat as he hauled his wheezing son to his feet and dragged him toward Dante's mansion.

* * *

Sin gazed absently at the manor before him. It was fairly plain looking with dull brown walls and shuttered windows. The only thing that distinguished the mansion form the houses around it was the aura of despair and arrogance that seemed to permeate the building like a vicious fog.

"Do your thing son…" Envy nodded.

Sin took a deep breath and looked to the sky…

CREEEEAK!

The ancient wrought iron gates that guarded the building since it was first built shuddered as if some giant hand was pulling them from their moorings.

**CRACK-A-BOOM!**

Lust smirked as her son telekinetically ripped the metallic barrier away from the surrounding walls. The being that was once Harry Potter opened all three of his eyes, revealing them to be glowing white.

He twisted the gate with his mind until the structure had been transformed into a rough drill.

SHRAAAACK!

The projectile was propelled forward and cut through the front door and the next several adjacent rooms until the improvised shell broke through the back wall of the house.

Envy grinned madly as he and lust flanked their son, the trio running into the building.

A near perfect replica of envy was the first they encountered. The only difference between the two homunculi was that Dante's had longer hair and a rather effeminate voice.

"You're gonna regret this!" The fake snarled as his arms lengthened into barbed tentacles and his body swelled into a hideous scaled balloon with one bulbous eyes.

"You think that's scary? Try this!" Envy spat, his body growing and mutating at an astonishing rate. His end form was as large as that of Dante's clone, but much more menacing. It stood on all fours with a long thick tail. Envy's snout was long and tapered, kind of like a lizard's. All along his body were the wailing faces of the people who were sacrificed to create him.

"RAWG!" the homunculus that was once James Potter roared; tacking the bulbous creature as its tentacles wrapped around his neck.

"GO AND GUT THAT BITCH DANTE! I'LL HANDLE THIS POSER!" Their envy bellowed.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A POSER, BUTT MUNCH!" The fake snarled as he tried to throttle Envy.

"YOU!" the real Envy roared as he ripped the purple plating that covered his doppelganger's current form, sinking his claws into the things eye.

The two made it as far as the staircase when the wood surface suddenly rose up and impaled Sin through the stomach. The newest of Father's Homunculi snarled as he was lifted off the ground and thrown across the room, almost getting trampled by the brawling envies.

"This is as far as you go!" the little boy at the top of the staircase spat, his hands plunged into the wood up to his elbows.

"Let's see how well you can do that if you can't touch anything." Sin scowled as he wrenched himself free, his stomach wound closing.

His eyes glowed as a telekinetic bubble surrounded Wrath, lifting him into the air.

"Hey! That's not fair!" he whined as he struggled to touch the floor and ceiling.

CRACK!

"Life isn't fair…" Sin said absently as the bubble contracted, smashing the young homunculi and breaking every bone in his body.

"Dis won't kee' me 'own for 'ong!" the child slurred through his broken jaw

"It'll keep you down for long enough." Sin frowned as he floated up the staircase and levitated the young boy.

SCHNIP!

Lust's finger lances made short work of the crippled boy as she cut off his head. The embodiment of wrath slumped limply to the ground.

"And just to make sure you stay down…." Sin uttered as he pulled his wand out of his pocket…

* * *

Several minutes later…

Lust and Sin limped through the ornate door to Dante's parlor as the surrogate 'mother' of Father's newest creation tossed aside the charred and battered corpse of her own counterpart. Father's nemesis sat calmly in the center of the room, flanked by a copy of greed, and her version of pride and sloth.

"So Father finally decided to come for my head?" the old woman asked rhetorically.

CRASH!

Dante toppled over as her children scattered, Father's greed crashed through the roof and tackle his counterpart.

"If all of you think that I'll just roll over and die, you have another thing coming! And I have a nasty surprise for your little tunneling force underground." Dante scowled as she got to her feet…

* * *

"Too…much… work…" Sloth slurred as he scraped away at the dirt under Dante's manor.

SNAP!

The lazy homunculi flinched as the shadows reared up and snapped at his heels.

Just because he was lazy didn't mean that the muscular artificial human was stupid. Quite the contrary, he was actually one of the most intelligent and insightful homunculi. The only catch was that he thought it was too much effort to think: hence why Pride and Gluttony was sitting only a few feet behind him. The two of them had enough power between them to keep him in line. If Sloth slacked off, there wouldn't be much left of him once they were finished, memory healing factor or not.

CLUNK!

Pride tensed when he heard the sound of a displaced stone further down the tunnel.

"Go check it out…" the shadow manipulator ordered gluttony.

The consumer nodded dully as he waddled further down the passageway.

* * *

**Several minutes later…**

"RAWG!"

"SCREEE!"

"HUNGRY!"

"ME TOO!"

Sloth's eyes bulged when Gluttony came shooting back the way he came, a gigantic toothy monstrosity that filled the passage hot on his heels.

"Too…tired… to… be… scared." Sloth grunted as their gluttony assumed his true form, his ribs bursting free of his chest as his mouth grew downward past his belly button, revealing a single red rimmed eye

"I'm out of here!" Pride flinched as the shadows engulfed him and Sloth. He might have been the oldest and arguably the most powerful of the homunculi, but even he wasn't willing to get in between two gluttons on a feeding frenzy!

* * *

**RRRUUUUMMM-BBBBLLLEEEE!**

The group let out a collective yowl of alarm as the floor collapsed underneath them.

* * *

Dante's version of pride was crushed under the debris.

* * *

Sloth rolled down an incline and into what was the kitchen. Her eyes widened in horror when she skidded toward the upturned refrigerator. She tumbled into the device, her jarring landing slamming the door shut on top of her.

* * *

The two brawling Greeds were stopped as the floor gave out underneath them. Father's greed latched onto a loose floorboard, while having the right frame of mind to ditch his enhanced form to lighten his weight. Sadly, Dante's greed didn't have such luck and plunged headfirst into the giant tank for the hot oil heater.

* * *

Sin, Lust, and Dante skidded to a stop in what was the parlor.

The elderly woman looked at the devastation that had wreaked her home and killed those who she cared for.

In other words, the kid gloves were now officially off.

Clap!

Dante slapped her hands together and the room came to life. Spires of wood and stone jumped out of the floor and ceiling.

Lust pirouetted back, her lances flashing in the moonlight.

She ducked as a stone spear shot toward her head, and did a split when a wooden clamp shot out of the wall behind her and almost grabbed her around the waist.

Sin sent TK pulses almost as fast as his mind was capable of producing them, splintering, pulping, and smashing anything that came his way as he danced around anything that got near him.

She shot a particularly strong pulse at Dante that would have cut her in half if she hadn't transmuted a shield that absorbed the blast.

CRACK!

Suddenly, an earthen spire jutted up and slammed Sin between the eyes.

"You thought I was a frail old woman, But I'm the most powerful alchemist you'll ever meet!" Dante scowled.

SWISH!

Lust was on her in an instant, her finger lances jabbing at the old woman almost faster than the eye could follow.

"Did someone leave the window open? I swear I felt a draft! Are you hoping I'll catch a cold?" Dante taunted.

CRACK-A-BANG!

A block of wood rose up behind Dante tripping the elderly woman and disrupting her footwork.

Lust's finger lances lashed down one final time, ending the battle and Dante as well.

* * *

Several weeks later…

Ed let out a cry of fury as he lashed out with his arm blade, he whirled around and threw a snap kicked at Sin's neck.

The newest homunculi almost contemptuously caught the proffered limp and pushed Ed back.

"What did those freaks do to you Harry?" Ed hissed.

_"Please, don't hurt him! Al and Ed are the only family I have!" _Harry pleaded.

_"Shut up. I'll deal with you later once I finish tenderizing your bro!"_ Sin spat as he backhanded Ed across the face.

"They didn't do squat. Well, other than giving me a brand spanking new body to work with!" Sin snickered.

Ed's vision turned red.

The blond lunged at sin.

The homunculi ran up the wall and vaulted over Edward's head, landing on his back.

The Fullmetal alchemist let out a yelp of surprise as Envy and Lust's son tangled his legs with Ed and grabbed his arms, pulling them back.

The oldest brother bellowed as he thrashed in a vain attempt to free himself of the submission hold.

_"For the love of god, stop it! You're gonna break his arms!"_ Harry sobbed as Sin took this as encouragement to pull even harder.

"THAT'S THE IDEA!" Sin bellowed as he pulled with all his might.

SNAP!

CRACK!

POP!

HISS!

The oldest Elric let out a whine of pain as his flesh and blood arm was simultaneously wrenched out of its socket and snapped in two places, while his automail was crushed at the elbow and ripped in half.

"Nice work boy, but you kept dropping your shoulder when you used your right…" Envy admonished.

**KA-BOOM!**

The room shook as a series of explosions rocked the building. Lust back stepped, barely avoiding being crushed under a large piece of ceiling.

"Damn that idiot Barry to the black abyss!" Sin spat, throwing Ed over his shoulder.

* * *

Several minutes earlier…

POW!

"ACK!" Barry yelped as a bullet tore through his hand and shattered the blade of his cleaver.

"Drop the weapons and lay flat on the ground **NOW!**" Maria Ross barked as she and Brosh set their sights on the two guardians

"Damn it! Betty was my favorite too!" the psycho snarled.

"You name you're knives?" Seventeen deadpanned.

"We'll discuss my fascination with sharp pointy death later! Right now we need a distraction to get out of here!" Barry the chopper grinned as he pulled a small electronic trigger from inside his chest cavity.

CLICK!

**KA-BOOM!**

All of them were bowled over when half the building went up in a fiery explosion.

"He who slices and run away lives to slice another day!" prisoner sixty six cackled, sprinting away.

Seventeen shrugged and bolted for the fence, climbing it with no heed to the barbed wire and running off into the night.

"Well isn't this just **peachy!"** the female member of the duo spat.

Thump!

Brosh did a double take when none other than the trouble maker himself, Edward Elric landed broken and battered at their feet.

"You can tell the little runt he owes us for pulling his fat out of the fire. Later losers." Envy smirked as he, Lust and Sin, strolled away.

"H-hey! Wait a cotton picking minute! Who the hell are you?" Ross sputtered.

"The Name's envy, this is my… partner Lust, and our little son Sin, Ain't he cute?" Envy cooed, pinching chis child's cheek.

SNAP!

"YEOUCH!" Envy yelped at he pulled his freshly bitten fingers out of his son's mouth.

"But you'll be hearing **much** more about us later…" Lust purred as the family walked into the night.

"Well isn't this a nice little cluster-fuck…" Ross groaned as the building in front of them collapsed into a burning pile of refuse.

* * *

Several hours later…

Ed's eyes fluttered open as he took in the whitewashed ceiling and the incessant beep…beep…beep of the heart monitor.

For the first several moments of consciousness, Ed wondered what he was doing then.

That was when the memories hit: of Lust, Envy, and most of all Sin.

The little brother that had been taken from his, twisted and defiled into something monstrous.

"It's good to see you're awake, sir!" Ross said crisply as she and Brosh stepped into the room.

"It's…it's good to be awake…"Ed said weakly.

"Mr. Fullmetal alchemist sir! Please forgive us!" Borsh barked as he and Ross stood at attention.

**FWAP!**

The blond's head jerked to the side when Second Lt. Maria Ross delivered a stinging slap across her superior officer's face.

"What were you thinking? Despite Major Armstrong ordering you both to remain at the barracks because of the danger that investigating the abandoned lab would pose you did it anyway! Because of your disobedience you and Alphonse almost died!" Ross huffed.

"You three don't have to do everything by yourselves. Despite how you act, you, Al, and Harry are still children. Just try to learn to rely on others a little bit more, just so we can **try **to avoid situations like this…" Brosh snorted.

"T-thanks…" Ed said faintly.

"Please forgive us for our actions toward a officer of a higher rank!" Ross belted out as she sweated bullets.

"There's no need to be so formal. I was the one at fault." Ed grimaced.

"T-thank you sir!" Brosh trembled.

"Why are you two so scared? It's not like I would hurt you, even if I could move my arms…" the Fullmetal Alchemist nodded at his shattered automail and broken arm.

"Thank goodness! We could end up in the stockade for life with a single word from you." Ross wiped her brow.

"Right…listen could you bring Al here I'd like to talk with him about something…"

The color drained from the duo's faces.

"Erm….uh about that…I'mfraidAlphonse disappearedduring thescuffle!" Ross babbled

"Could you repeat that in plain old Armestrinan?"

"What she said was…That Alphonse Elric disappeared during the Scuffle. We have no idea where he went…" Brosh said weakly.

A beat.

"WHAT?"

* * *

**Less than a day later… **

Sin grimaced as he scratched at the brown wig and rubbed the grey contact lenses as he strolled down Diagon alley.

_"Someone's gonna see through that piss poor disguise. And when they do, I hope they tear you to pieces._" Harry hissed.

_"Yeah right, wishful thinking, 'bro'. These people worship you. Unless you did something really stupid, they'll keep kissing your ass." _Harry's 'brother' sneered as the Homunculi walked into Flourish and Blotts.

Sin did a double take when he saw a gaggle of redheads moving through the stacks. The group was soon intercepted by a pair of bleach blonds.

"Hey Weasley, remind me to thank Potter the next time I see him! Now there's one less traitor to have to deal with later!" Draco Malfoy jeered.

"Enough Draco. It is unbecoming of a man to point out the tragedies of others, even if we are better off because of it." Lucius smiled faintly.

FWAP!

Arthur Weasley's fist slammed into his tormentor's chin, knocking him on his back.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Ginny hissed, driving on Draco, fists flying.

_"Ron….no…" _Harry whimpered.

_"I take back what I said about you being weak. Apparently you have some balls after all if you're willing to off your best friend!"_ Sin jeered.

* * *

Several days later…

Sin kicked back and relaxed as he popped out his contact lenses and pulled off his wig.

"I'll admit that I was pretty pissed off when Mommy and Daddy Dearest told me that I had to make an appearance here. Even if the only reason is to learn to use your magic better." Sin shrugged."

_"…"_ Harry answered.

"Harry James Potter!" someone cried out.

Sin jerked in his seat and almost sent a TK pulse at the person, only to cut it at the last second.

"Do you have any idea how **worried** I was? First Ron dies on my arms and you disappear for months on end without a word!" Hermione sobbed.

"I'm sorry. Old Moldy-warts worked me over pretty good during that last fight. I was in a coma for almost a month. The rest of the time I spent putting myself back together until a week ago. I only just heard what happened to Ron. I know this probably seems hollow, but I never intended for anything like this to happen. If I had the chance to change it, I would make sure Ron was Ok…" Sin said kindly.

"I know, I know. The Weasley family is very much divided as to their opinions on Ron's death…" Hermione grimaced.

"How bad was it?"

"It took all of the Barrister's influence to convince Arthur and Molly not to declare a blood feud against the Potter family. Ginny, Fred and George have elected to remain neutral regarding you. You don't approach them, they won't approach you."

"And The rest of the family?"

"You don't want to know. Percy handed in his Prefect badge and outright told Dumbledore that he couldn't be trusted regarding you if and when you returned. He said that if he still had that badge, he would make your life such a living hell that you would willingly toss yourself off the Astronomy tower…"

_"Oh God…what have I done…"_ Harry thought.

_"Maybe you really do fit in with us! You really are a cold blooded killer to the core!" _Sin cackled.

* * *

The arrival was everything that Sin and Harry expected. The moment that Harry's body stepped off the train, students backed away fearfully. As if he was going to turn on them.

"Hey Potter thanks for making sure there was one less Weasley on the world!" Draco jeered.

GRIP!

Draco's whole body jolted as the boy-who-lived grabbed him by his shirt front, lifting the antagonist's a good foot off the ground.

"I'm warning you ferret…and this is a one time warning because I'm feeling generous… either you walk away, or I swear to Merlin, Allah, Buddha, or whatever deity is out there that I will take your wand, and shove it down your throat…and in doing so, **show your pancreas what it truly means to have a 'roommate'!**" Sin snarled furiously. For a moment Draco could have sworn that the pupils of Potter's eyes contracted into cat like slits.

Looking into those eyes, the Malfoy heir knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that what Harry had just said was not a threat but a promise. A promise of untold pain should he not watch what he say. One that Harry would very, **very** willingly deliver.

And for the first time in a long time, Draco Malfoy did the smart thing.

He got to his feet, and walked away.

Hermione looked at her friend with more than a little amount of shock. "What in heaven's name has gotten into you?" the brunette sputtered.

"Oxygen. Only oxygen."The middle Elric snorted.

"No, I mean…you seem so…so…" his apprentice ventured.

"Handsome, debonair, irresistible?"

"Aggressive, dark even."

That made the three eyed boy pause.

"Hermione, I say this with all seriousness. Leave it alone. I'll tell you as soon I get a better handle on this. But for now…please…leave it alone."

* * *

Less than a half an hour later, the school population sat down at their respective house tables. The soon to be first years gathered nervously to the side as Professor McGonagall brought out the school sorting hat.

"And now, once the Hat songs the sorting son, we will divide the new students among their houses. And then we feast!" Dumbledore said, getting stiffly to his feet.

"NO! NO! AND NO AGAIN YOU OLD GOAT!" the hat cackled.

"What now? We gave you your Snuggles before the sorting ceremony!" Dumbledore uttered crossly.

Did you honestly think that you could fool me with that transfigured bottle of water? I know what my fabric softener tastes like!" The sorting hat fired back.

"Well…I had hoped…I mean I don't know what you're talking about!" the headmaster sputtered.

"Since you saw fit to weasel out of our deal for the second year in a row. I have a **special **song just for you. HIT IT!"

Suddenly, a wild guitar rift and drum beat resounded through the Great Hall.

_"I've been kicked out, been told I'm a total disgrace, I've been shoved I've been pushed, I've been slapped in the face!"_ the Hat belted out.

Dumbledore's chair suddenly came to life, marching the venerable headmaster to the center of the room.

_"I've had drinks thrown my way, and barely escaped with my life!"_

The tables buckled and threw their suddenly full contents into the Headmaster's face.

_"So go on say what you wanna say, and save me from this misery! Cause I know what you're getting at, and I've been there done that…"_ The hat sang as a spotlight focused on it.

_"We'll never run back no! I don't know what to tell ya? If you come back now. With nothing left to sell ya! You can't obliterate this battle station with a stunning lack of wit and imagination now!"_ Now the floorboards were getting in on the act. They rose up from their position on the floor and swatted at the old man as he ran for his life.

_"You can try all you want; you can beg you can plead! You can blame it on me when you're starting to bleed!"_

Albus rubbed the back of his head and glared at the hat.

_"But the clothes on my back are all I need to change about me!"_

"I highly doubt that…" Dumbledore uttered as he got to his feet.

_"So go on say what you wanna say and save me from this misery! Cause I know what you're getting at! I've been there done that!"_

The student benches lurched and bucked off their passengers as they charged en mass at the elderly man.

"Oh Bugger…" the old man gulped as the seats stampeded.

_"We'll never run back no! I don't know what to tell ya? If you come back now, with nothing left to sell ya. You can't obliterate this battle station, with a stunning lack of wit and imagination now!"_

POW!

BOOM!

BANG!

Small explosions nipped at the elderly man heels as the benches rumbled after him. The teachers watched in shock as the sat in the forefront caught up and knocked Dumbledore into the hair and onto its back.

_"So I guess I'm not a total loss and a little stronger now!"_

"Heaven help us!" Albus babbled upon hearing that statement.

_"You will know how much it costs to get away with life so loud. And maybe I'm just tired of losing blood over you now. Now it's getting late, and you know we're out of time, It was my mistake; can you make up your mind?" _the hat sang as the multi colored spot lights danced around it.

_"We'll never run back no! I don't know what to tell ya? If you come back now With nothing left to sell ya You can't obliterate this battle station with a stunning lack of wit and imagination now" _The multi centennial old piece of haberdashery belted out as the lights faded.

"I hate you…" Albus uttered wrathfully as he gingerly sat back in his seat.

Who knew you could get saddle sores from riding on a bucking magical bench?

* * *

Sin let out a sigh of contentment as he sank into the squashy armchair by the fire. The rest of the students were keeping their distance (other than Hermione) and that suited him just fine.

_"Heck. The girl has a lot of potential. Maybe if I lead her in the right direction and feed her a bit of Alchemical knowledge, we might get a ninth brother out of the deal. I wonder what kind of Homunculi Weasley might turn out to be?" _Sin thought.

"I'd watch my step if I were you Sin-san. Hitsuzen has already dictated you losing to Kizuato kun. He is far more powerful than you realize…" A voice said coldly.

Sin whirled around and saw the last person he expected to appear: Ichihara Yūko flanked by twin creatures (that both looked oddly like meat buns), a black and a white blob with wings both known as Mokona Modoki.

And from the very cold expression on Yūko's face, you could tell that she was **not** happy.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenge on my profile page.**

**P.S. I'd like to congratulate Salamander Hanzo for being my Fiftieth reviewer. **


	23. Chapter 20: The Plot Unfolds

"**Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated, folks!" I smirk.**

"**Much to my elation, considering he's the one who keeps me supplied with Bruce clones." Zatanna chimes in.**

"**Now My lovely assistant, if you would?" I ask, giving her the stage.**

"**Remialcsid!" My muse says, waving her wand and causing a message to appear in glowing lights: SORAKAGE SAMA DOESN NOT OWN FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST OR HARRY POTTER! IF HE DID, DRACO WOULD HAVE STAYED THE AMAZING BOUNCING FERRET!**

Chapter 20: The Plot Unfolds

Sin sat stiffly as sparks seemed to fly between the dimensional witch and the artificial human.

"Is this the part where you tell me that I won't get away with this? Because if it is I have better things to do than listen to your babbling." The son of Lust and Envy sneered.

"On the contrary, I have quite a bit of my time invested in Kizuato-kun's well being. While I consider him a good friend and client, he also has the potential to help me with a delicate matter sometime in the future. And if you jeopardize that, then my wrath won't be stilled…" the woman drawled, her twin guardians tensing.

"Oh, I'm so scared! You're sendin' a pair of animated meat-buns after me! How about we make a deal…" the being who occupied Harry's mind scowled, his eyes glowing brightly.

"How about **you** leave and never come back and I won't crush you into meat paste?" the purple eyed being sneered, lifting all of the furniture in the room at once.

Yūko smiled serenely, not moving an inch.

All at once, over a ton of furnishings flew at the woman like cannonballs.

The white Mokona opened its mouth and **sucked** in a massive breath.

The gust of wind caught every last projectile and pulled it into the light colored creature's mouth. The very air stood still as Sin gaped in shock.

"That was one of Mokona's one hundred and eight skills: Kirby style suction!" the black creature tittered. Suddenly, its cheeks bulged ominously as it swelled to gargantuan size.

With a roar like a tidal wave, the black manju-bun opened it mouth and **spat out** every last item its counterpart had inhaled.

"Oh no…" sin gulped as he looked at the incoming debris.

CRASH!

BANG!

BOOM!

POW!

CRACK!

Tinkle…tinkle…

Sin groaned from under the pile of furniture: tables, chairs, bookshelves, and every last knickknack that had been in the common room. The impact had broken nearly every bone in his body. Needless to say, it would take a while before he was up and about again.

Yuko pulled an elegant white wand from her sleeve, she flicked the implement and moved aside a couch, exposing Harry's head

"Sadly, Hitsuzen has declared that Harry will not be freed by me. But rest assured he will be freed. The pieces have already been set. He will become the king in time, and you will be the horse." She said simply as she glided toward the exit.

"And one final warning, be wary when you sleep. Kizuato-kun has many allies. Many of whom are not as kind and gentle as I…" Yuko purred.

"_I warned you, didn't I?"_ Sin heard Harry smirk.

"Shut up…" he shot back weakly.

* * *

One sleepless night later, Sin groaned heavily as he trudged toward the defense against dark arts classroom. It had taken him half the night to heal the damage from being hit by a tidal wave of furniture. One top of that he spent the rest of the evening putting everything back the way it was. The last thing he needed was to call more attention to himself by him being caught in a wrecked common room! Wrath and Pride would have had his nuts on a platter.

"So, Mione, any word on What Quirrel will be teaching this year?" the homunculi yawned.

"Didn't you hear? Quirrel retired after the…unpleasantness of last year. His nerves couldn't take anymore." She replied.

"I can't say I'm surprised. So who did they get to replace him?"

"Gilderoy Lockheart!" the normally bookish girl squeaked.

"Are you all right, I swear I thought you almost had a fangasm…" Sin opined, shooting her a weird look.

"_I don't think I've ever seen Hermione fixated on one person before…" _Harry thought.

"On that point we agree…" Sin mumbled as the young girl extolled the virtues of Lockheart.

"The man is an absolute genius! He's gone all over the world and helped so many people!" she sighed dreamily.

"Yeah…that's all well and good, but we'd better get moving unless you want up to be late…" Sin uttered weakly.

Nodding fervently, Harry's friend sped to her first class with a speed that the boy didn't realize she was capable of…

* * *

Moments later as the duo walked into the classroom.

"Erm, Harry, am I seeing things or is that you little brother sitting at the teacher's desk?" the brunette asked weakly.

Sin stood there dumbly as he gaped at the armored form of Alphonse Elric.

"What the hell!?" the boy sputtered.

"_Give me control right now! I promise that I'll let you take my body back as soon as I've finished talking. Please! I __**need**__ to speak with him!" _Harry pleaded.

"_All right. I'm pretty curious about what the hell's goin' on. So I'll let you free just this once, but the moment you pull any shit it's back you go!"_Sin uttered.

Harry felt a momentary vertigo as their positions switched.

GRIP!

"ACK!"

The armored boy let out a yelp as Harry grabbed him by the collar and dragged him like a sack of potatoes out of the room.

"_ALPHONSE ELRIC! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"_ Harry snarled furiously.

"As if you don't know! I figured out that all of my so called friends were lying to me! Including you, I thought we were family! But you're no brother of mine!" Al spat, turning on his heels, ignoring his elder brother's shocked and hurt look.

"Oh, and one more thing. I'm Mr. Lockheart's teaching assistant! So if you put one toe out of line and it's detention for you! So there!" the boy sneered childishly.

* * *

A few minutes after the mind numbingly stupid 'test' that the professor handed, sin rolled his eyes as Lockheart pranced around the room, proclaiming his own greatness. Surprisingly, this was the first time Harry found himself agreeing with his inner homunculi. The man was an absolute twit.

"_There's a word to describe people like him…" _Harry though as the man read a passage out of his book.

"And so, with only a toothpick, a jar of industrial lubricant, and a tennis ball I defeated a hundred vampires and saved the entire town of Wagga Wagga!" the blond proclaimed, while Alphonse and every girl in the class hung onto his every word…

"What is it?" sin muttered.

"_Idiot?"_ Harry supplied.

"Then the women of the town lavished their praises on me!" the man continued.

"No…I wish I could remember that word!" the boy's dark half frowned.

"_Snob, or brat maybe?"_

"Not quite right…" Sin uttered.

"And so we celebrated long into the night!" the 'teacher trailed off.

"Maybe a pain in the neck?" Sin muttered under his breath as Hermione shot him a scandalized look.

"_No. It fit's him. But not well enough."_

"Mr. Potter, do you have any comments?" Lockheart asked as his speech wound down.

"I got it! Lockheart's obnoxious!" Harry's dark side said, so intent on describing the fool that he forgot where he was.

BANG!

The professor was so shocked that he toppled off his desk.

"Sir! Are you all right?" Al gasped.

The male half of the class broke into hysterical laughter and the girls shot the pre-teen death glares.

Minutes later, a bemused Madam Pomfrey levitated the concussed professor out of the classroom.

"Well, since Professor Lockheart's incapacitated at the moment…" Al shot his brother an evil look.

"I guess it'll be up to me to tell you about the dangerous and deadly creatures that we'll be facing in this classroom." The young boy nodded as he wheeled out a medium sized crate.

"Please try not to panic. These little fellows tend to be skittish…" Al smiled as he read form the teacher's notes.

Most of the class edged back. All except Sin, who couldn't feel enough aggression from the being in the cage to warrant any worry.

"Freshly caught Cornish pixies!" the armored boy proclaimed, whipping off the cloth.

The creatures were about the size of Harry's thumb. They were colored an electric blue and were buzzing around the cage like caffeine high bumblebees.

"We're supposed to be afraid of **those**?" Sin snickered, a sentiment which most of the class agreed with.

"Let's see how scary you think they are **up close!**" Al snorted vindictively as he threw open the cage.

* * *

Sin's right eye twitched as he exited the classroom a hellish half hour later. The pixies had taken the majority of the remaining class time to round up. A good three quarters of the class had fled for their lives after a trio of particularly vindictive sprites hung poor Neville up on the rafters by his underwear.

It was only because of a clever freezing charm on Hermione's part and some subtle telekinesis from Sin that they managed to get the little Beasts rounded up.

"After this, I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing potions lesson…" Harry grimaced weakly as he realized that it wasn't even ten o'clock yet.

The group made its way up to the middle levels of the castle. According to their schedule, the potions classes were being held in one of the under used potions classrooms.

The room was wildly different from what the students were used to. The overall layout was set up amphitheatre style. This made the room much brighter and better suited to allow the students to see what they were doing.

The man in the front of the room was as distant from Snape, looks wise, as possible. He was wearing a white suit and a short shawl/cape that ran down past his shoulders.

"My name is Uryū Ishida, and I will be your potions professor for the foreseeable future."

"Who does Dumbledore think he's kidding?! Hiring that Mudblood!" Malfoy spat, earning a round of snickers form his cronies.

"Unlike professor Snape, I will not tolerate any malicious actions in my classroom. All of you are equal in my eyes, and if any of you attempt to do harm to a fellow student, I will not hesitate to expel you form this classroom." The dark haired man said sharply.

"Yeah right! Father will educate him to the facts of life soon enough." The blond grinned as the new professor outlined a set of instructions for a pepperup potion.

Sin felt boredom creep up on him as he followed the rather simplistic instructions.

"_This class needs something to liven it up…"_ the homunculus thought as he looked around the room.

Grinning maliciously, the three eyed boy planted a specific set of impulses in a certain students mind.

"_Ku! Ku! Ku! Now the fun's gonna begin!"_

Several minutes later, Draco grinned as he picked up a shrivelfig and lobbed it at Neville's cauldron. A shower of sparks erupted as the ingredient spattered against one of the protective shield that had been set up around every desk.

"Mr. Malfoy, since you didn't bother to listen to my warning, perhaps someone could inform him of what happens to students who sabotage other peoples work?" the potions professor frowned.

"They're expelled from the classroom." Daphne Greengrass said primly.

Draco's face purpled with ill disguised fury; "When my father hears about this outrage…"

"He'll have to come to me. These rules apply to all the students, and if the fig had landed in Mr. Longbottom's cauldron, we'd be treating him for third degree burns right now. Now leave this class and never darken it again!" the black haired man snapped.

* * *

Later that night, four people met in Dumbledore's office.

"Albus, you gave me carte blanche authority to overhaul the potions department after Severus Snape's…untimely demise. And I took that to mean that I would have full authority in dealing with problem students as long as it was in my class." Uryū drawled as he sipped his tea.

"My son can hardly be considered a problem student! He had Snape's glowing recommendations as you know." Lucius grimaced as he thought of how to get his son out of this latest predicament.

"Yes, and the man was a deatheater who had Voldemort jutting out of the back of his head for the majority of the year. I'd hardly call that a character witness."

"Mayhaps if young Draco were to apologize…" Albus suggested.

"Apologize for what?! I didn't do anything! I saw Potter toss that Fig! He's the one to blame, not me!

"So young Harry somehow tossed the shrivelfig from the upper galleries despite the fact that he was sitting in the front row?" Ishida raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Lucius twitched as he shot his son a dark look.

"Erm I mean…." The young blind said lamely.

"The punishment stands. Draco will have to look elsewhere for potions instruction." The white clad man said as he set down his cup.

* * *

That night, Sin pulled out the letter that he had received from his parents via post owl. He would have used Azulara to deliver his mail, since she had grown large enough to fly on her own. But the serpent had proven perceptive enough to realize the change in her master. The pre-teen passed ownership of the snake onto Hermione, citing that his former pet's temperament had soured toward him due to his long absence.

_Dear Sonny Boy_

_As you well know, Father is very interested in the wizarding world. Some of the deadlier and more powerful creatures have caught our creator's interest. So in the name of creating a better soldier, he wants you to use the portkey meat in this satchel to bring us some new guinea pigs. The Portkey spell attached to this letter will take you to a series of animal preserves where you'll transport the pick of the litter for further…study._

_Hugs and Kisses_

_Envy_

_P.S. I'll be out of touch for the next couple of days. Someone's getting a little too close to our operation and needs to be silenced. _

Five seconds later, Harry Potter /Sin felt a tug behind his navel and disappeared.

* * *

THUMP!

The homunculi let out a string of curses as he tumbled to the ground.

"Damn it Pops!! When I get my hand on you, there won't be enough left to fill a thimble!!" the irate semi human snarled as he slipped on the satchel and trudged up the hill.

It was half an hour late that the pre-teen reached a wide barren stretch of land. All the boy could make out was a series of small steadily rising and falling mounds, grouped together around one big one.

Sin crept as silently and as slowly as possible, doing his best not to make a sound.

"Let's see what we have here…" the psychic muttered as he neared the closest darkened mound.

It was a moonless night, and Sin couldn't make out what the heck he was looking at.

So, he did the only thing that he could think of. He grabbed a nearby tree branch and poked the thing.

The homunculus was about to learn the true meaning behind the Hogwart's motto: Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. Which translates to never tickle a sleeping dragon.

A serpentine head popped up and looked the boy in the eye.

"All right you…whatever you are…bottoms up!" Sin snickered, tossing several hunks of meat at the small creature.

Attracted by the scent of raw meat, the other infants soon joined in the feeding frenzy, tearing hunk of meat off the sides of beef until there was nothing left.

Seconds after consuming their fill, the infant dragons disappeared.

"_**RRRROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!!"**_ the baby's mother bellowed as she noticed her children's disappearance.

"Holy!" Sin yelped as he stepped back from the irate mother dragon.

The beast let out an enraged bellow, shooting a blast of fire the nearly roasted the artificial human.

Sin levitated himself out of the line of fire, flying away from the scene as fast as he could.

But much to his chagrin, the nest mother was just as fast as he was. With one flap of her wings, the infuriated mother flew after the boy.

"Damn it Pops! If I get out of this alive, I'm gonna roast you over an open fire!!!!" Envy's son snarled as he dove low and made a beeline for the woods.

He telekinetically picked up a dozen fallen tree branched and hurled them like a spear at the reptile. His improvised projectiles didn't even scratch her scales.

"SHIT! SHIT!! SHIT!!! SHIT!!!!" the homunculi shrieked as he felt the white hot flames singe the hem of his robes.

"GGGGRRRRAAAAWWWRRR!"

"DAMN IT! WHEN THE HELL IS THIS PORTKEY GONNA TURN ON?!?" the being possessing Harry bellowed.

"_Hey, Sin, do you know the school motto?" _Harry asked conversationally.

"I don't have time for this!" Sin spat.

"_It's never tickle a sleeping dragon. Just though you should know…" _the alchemist snickered.

"Will you just shut up you son of a…"

POP!

Suddenly, Sin disappeared.

The Hungarian Horntail let out en earsplitting shriek due to the loss of her prey.

* * *

Several hours later, Sin plopped into bed, much the worse for wear. The list his parents has provided him with had been…extensive. He had to find and bag over a dozen different kinds of animals, including Kappas, Acromantulas, a centaur, an erumpet (his ears were still ringing from when the thing's explosive tusks went up right next to his head), griffin, a nundu, a nest of runespoors, a hippogriff, a yeti, and a sphinx.

Needless to say, the boy was looking forward to a nice, peaceful night's sleep.

* * *

"Damn it Harry, sometimes I think you get yourself into trouble like this on purpose! You're lucky I like you…" Sin heard someone say as he stomped through his mindscape.

"Riddle, get your ass in gear an get me out! You're my last hope!! If that freak shows up and shuts the door on you, I'll be out of options!" Sin heard Harry plead.

"Just give me one more minute, and I'll break this shield."

"Sorry senior butt-hole, but time's up!" Sin spat as he telekinetically grabbed Riddle around the neck and hauled him into the air.

"Urk! I got one thing to say to you…"Flet Une Vente! Flans Saltatio Pulverea!"

"GACK!" Sin yelped as a strong wind kicked up and enveloped him in a cloud of dust, obscuring his vision.

"Let's see how you like your own pactio being used against you: Ade…at?"

Suddenly the card shot out of his hand, flying through the dust cloud and into Riddle's outstretched fingers.

"Sorry, no Pactio magic for you. This little trick was meant for Harry alone." Riddle frowned as ribbons of wind magic wrapped around his hand.

"Ōka Hōken!!"

Sin's world suddenly turned white, as the magic enhanced fist slammed into his head, blasting him out of the mindscape.

Riddle stood there for as moment and looked down at his hand, which was starting to dissolve into motes of light.

"Damn. I've spent too much time and energy on this side of the astral plane. Sorry kid, if I stick around I'll risk coming apart at the seams. I'll be back to help as soon as I recharge." Riddle scowled.

Harry bit back a curse as Riddle vanished.

The pre-teen laid back and let out a depressed sigh. Riddle had been so close to breeching the barrier on his mind and letting him free. Only one more minute and the two of them could have tag-teamed sin and expelled the interloper from his head.

"_But, then again, every cloud has a silver lining. Sin will expend effort trying to keep Riddle out of my head, instead of paying attention to the already weakening barriers keeping me __**in.**__"_Harry thought as he eyed the tiny fracture in his mind's walls.

Sooner or Later Sin would learn that you don't underestimate an Alchemist.

* * *

Mayes Hughes cracked his neck as he looked over the day's papers. It was always the same; an uprising here, an assassination attempt there, a scandal somewhere else. It never changed.

"Do you have that report on the incident in Liore?" Officer Bruska asked.

"It's in the process of being completed…" the dark haired man uttered as he looked over at his newest slave…er…office assistant.

"That place is getting nasty. The tension's so thick you could cut it with a knife." The man opposite Hughes snorted.

"Tell me about it. I was the one who interviewed the Elric after they arrived in Central City. The whole dustbowl was fooled by this ohony religion called 'Letioism' or something like that."

"Given all the unrest in the north and east, not to mention the border unrest in the south, it makes you wonder when this area might implode into war…"

Hughes eyes bulged as he sprang to his feet, and bolted out of the room.

"Lieutenant Colonel? What's wrong?" Sheska asked.

"Nothing! I just need to check on something." The doting father said simply.

* * *

"How could I have missed this?! The Liore incident, all the border disputes, the Ishvar war, it all adds up! Whoever though this up as to be high up on the chain of command! And for a project his big, it may have been going on since this country was first founded!" Hughes spas as he marked out several spots on a map.

CLUNK!

The Lt. Colonel stiffened when someone closed the door behind him.

He whirled around as saw that it was a red headed woman with an oroborus tattoo between her breasts.

"Why hello, Mr. Hughes, or rather goodbye!" Lust purred as she unsheathed her finger lances just as the dark haired man pulled a throwing knife out of the sheath concealed on his belt.

T-THUNK!

The woman's pointer finger sliced through the meat of his shoulder just as his knife stabbed her between the eyes.

Moments later, Lust flinched as he she pulled the knife out of her head.

"Humph. Who would have thought a desk jockey would have moves like that…" the redhead pouted as she licked the blood off her face.

* * *

Hughes stumbled into a phone booth several block away from the barracks. After he realized that the military phone was more than likely bugged, he staggered to the nearest public line.

"_Hello, this is East Area HQ. How may I help you?"_

"Put me through to Lieutenant Roy Mustang!"

"_I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to connect phones using an outside line."_

"This is Lieutenant Colonel Mayes Hughes from Central City! I need to talk to Mustang now!"

"_Please give me your code and I'll see what I can do."_

Of all the stupid…pointless…Charlie, Foxtrot, Alpha, Eight, Eight, Zero! You got that?!"

But Hughes didn't notice someone creeping up behind him.

"I've confirmed the code. Now I'll need one moment please."

"Damn it! Hurry up! There are lives are at stake here!"

"Put down the phone, sir." A female voice said as a gun barrel jabbed into his back.

"Hughes looked over his shoulder and spied Second Lt. Ross, who he had spoken to several times.

"You aren't Maria Ross! Who the hell are you?!" the bearded man whispered.

"I'm…Second Lieutenant Maria Ross. We've met several times. Don't you remember…"

"Cut the shit. Maria Ross has a birthmark under her left eye and you don't."

"Oh, well I'll have to fix that then…" Envy smirked as the skin under his eye rippled and a birth mark former under her eye.

"What the hell…this had gotta be a nightmare!" Hughes whispered as he looked at the now exact clone of his friends subordinate.

"That's right. This is all one bad dream brought about by you sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. Now let daddy Envy put you to sleep and it'll all be over…" the shape shifter sneered.

"Sorry, but I can't die yet!" Hughes barked as he pulled out another throwing knife.

Only for Ross to shift into the form of his beloved wife, Gracia. The blade slipped from his nerveless fingers as Hughes bit back a sob. He knew that the person in front of him was a fake, but he couldn't bring himself to cut her down.

BANG!

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenge on my profile page. Speaking of which, check out the first entry, Scavenger of Lines by S. Lawliet.**


	24. Chapter 21: Unequal measure

**"All right folks, I realize there's no excuse for such a long hiatus. All I can do is say that life went out of control for the past few months. This semester's classes were the hardest yet. I had a long standing bout of insomnia that nearly drove me up the wall, not to mention that my laptop was put out of commission for a month because of the nastiest virus I have ever seen. And when everything finally calmed down I got hit with a bad case of writers block that just wouldn't quit."**

**"But now he's back folks! And coming up with all sorts of new ideas!" My muse Zatanna Zaranna pipes up.**

**"Indeed mi amiga, indeed. Here's hoping this inspiration will last. Now I have three words for you: Lights: Camera, action!"**

Chapter 21: Unequal measure

Sin stumbled out of his dorm room a week later, cursing his father in every language he could think of. Night after night he had been sent out to gather various magical creatures for Father's mad scientists to study.

So he had gone out on a little jaunt when he got back to vent a little steam.

It was enough to make a homunculus pray for his nonexistent soul.

* * *

Less than half an hour later, the bleary eyed Homunculi tromped out onto the quidditch pitch. There were times when he wondered if his captain was taking lessons from the most fanatical player in Gryffindor, Oliver wood.

He blinked in surprise when a heated argument caught his ears.

"I booked this pitch for the entire day you bloody son of a b****!" Hecate snarled angrily

"There's plenty of room for both teams…or you could always leave." Marcus flint shot back.

"If you think I'm going to stand for this, you're wrong! Snape isn't here to make the situation go away! So clear out **now**!" The Ravenclaw firebrand snarled, pulling out her wand.

"We need this pitch more than you, owing to the need to train our new seeker." The captain smiled slyly.

"Which would be me." Draco Malfoy drawled as the other six member of the Slythein parted.

"Of course Lucius Malfoy would buy his son's way onto the team…" Cho Chang spat angrily.

"Funny you should mention that you slant eyes mudblood…" the bleach blond jeered as he and the other snakes held up seven shining new brooms.

"Let's ride!" Flint bellowed as the other members of the team flew into the air and out of the enraged Ravenclaws reach.

Sin's eye's narrowed, _"This is a good opportunity for a little creative humiliation…"_

SCREECH!

Flint nearly shot off his broom as a telekinetic grasp stopped him in his tacks.

Moments later, all of the other members of the serpent house team suffered a similar predicament.

Suddenly, six of the Nimbus two thousand and ones drifted to the ground.

WHAM!

Flint let out a yelp of pain and his broom eased itself out from under him and whacked him over the head.

CRACK!

The flying device suddenly whirled through the air like a bo-staff and swept the team captain off his feet.

"What the Hell are you playing at? Is this your idea of a joke?" Flint snarled as he blasted his brand new broom into a million pieces.

"I-I-I don't know! Father told me these were top of the line brooms! Even Even the professional leagues don't have these models yet!" Malfoy sputtered.

"And for good reason… URK!" Bole gurgled as his broom shaft whacked him between the legs.

"You and your daddy can forget the deal! We agreed to put you on the team for seven new brooms! And you went back on your part of the deal!" Warrington snarled as he pushed the blond to the ground.

"Come on…Let's go see Madam Pomfrey…." Flint spat as he and the other five players hobbled back into the school.

* * *

The rest of the day was fairly peaceful…up until lunch.

**"Whaaaaaa!"** a ghost wailed as she soared through the air, her eyes literally spraying fountains of tears that flooded the great hall.

"Who or what is that?" Hermione sputtered.

"That's Moaning Myrtle. She haunts the second floor girl's lavatory!" Rose replied, covering her ears to block out the wail.

"She haunts a toilet?" the brunette blinked.

"Yeah! I wonder what set her off this time?" Cho Chang grimaced as Headmaster Dumbledore glided into the room.

"Might I ask what happned this time, Ms. Myrtle?" the elderly man queried.

"What's **wrong**? Someone utterly destroyed my Bathroom!" she thundered.

"Show me." Dumbledore ordered.

* * *

Destroyed didn't begin to describe the devastation.

The mirrors that lined the walls were smashed to pieces, broken glass lined the floor. The stalls looked like they had been ripped from the walls and thrown around like a wild beast had ripped them apart. Even the skins hadn't been spared. The ring of porcelain in the center of the room had been utterly annihilated.

"I was sobbing in the u-bend last night contemplating how I wasted my after life when I heard an inhuman snarl and then all hell broke loose! Something grabbed and and tossed me through the wall. By the time I got back the room was like this!" Myrtle seethed.

* * *

The student population went into Panic mode. For the next month, the students traveled in packs of no less than six large. No one wanted to contemplate what what kind of creature was capable of causing that kind of devastation. Even the toll attack the previous year hadn't done that much damage.

Hence why no less than two prefects followed Harry Elric Potter at all times the moment he stepped out of the common room.

Sin twitched he ducked behind a suit of armor and muddled the other two student's mind, sending them skipping back down the hall the way they came, hand in hand (to add insult to injury, both of them were boys).

Suddenly, a mutinous mutter reached Sin's ears.

"Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Harry!" the Gryffindor ghost lamented. "Most would think that's good and beheaded, but oh no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated-Podmore!"

"Wow. This is the first time I've heard of someone with a longer title than me…" the newest Homunculi uttered dryly.

"Are you mocking me? Are you making light of my trials?" Nearly headless Nick sputtered, whirling on the pseudo Harry.

"No! Not at all! In fact, I was just thinking of how to help you out!" the pre-teen offered.

"Really?" the ghost looked hopeful.

"Yeah. Just pull your head off, close your eyes and hold still. I don't want to poke one of your eyes out is I miss…" Harry grinned.

Nodding, the specter closed his non corporeal eyes.

RIIIIIP!

Sin's telekinetic grasp latched onto the Gryffindor ghost's head and **pulled.**

**Whoosh!**

Nick let out a cry of alarm as he head was pulled off and hurled through a nearby wall. The now mobile cranium soared through the air and flew into the lake.

"Screw ball in the side pocket!" Sin smirked maliciously as Nick's headless body chased his missing skull.

_"You rat bastard! That was a horrible thing to do!" _Harry barked angrily.

"Oh, it's you Potter. I haven't heard from you since that last dust up with Riddle. I was starting to think that you finally got some brains in your head and gave up!" the body squatter snickered.

_"Not a chance. I am going to get my body back, and when I do I promise that I'm going to stick you in the deepest, furthest corner of my mind I can find! You'll never see the light of day again!" _Harry spat.

"Sticks and stones Potter, Sticks and stones. You can talk all you want, but as long as your on the wrong side of those mental barriers, I'm in the divers seat. So sit back, relax, and watch as I ruin your friend's lives. I have one in particular trick that I've been saving for a rainy day. But for that little comment, I'm moving up my time table…" Lust and Envy's son leered.

As Sin walked away, he was so preoccupied with taunting Harry, that he didn't notice a frightened bi-haired girl step out of one of the unused classrooms, white as the ghost that "Harry" just tortured.

* * *

Sin fought the urge to scramble Lockhearts brains like an egg.

_"Damn that professor professor McGonagall! How was I supposed to know she was behind me when I called Dumbledore a meddlesome old fart? If it wasn't for the fact that I have to keep a low profile, I'd slaughter her just like all the other useless twits in this school..."_ the youngest homunculus mentally ranted as he signed and stamped the inept professor's fan mail.

"Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that young Mr. Potter!" the bottle blond grinned toothily. This had been the tenth on his list of 'advice that he had given over the last hour.

Suddenly, a disembodied voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once echoed in the pre-teens ears. The sheer bloodthirstiness made the hairs on the back of Sin's neck stand on end.

_"Let me rip you! Let me **tear **you! It's been so long! I want fresh meat…**NOW**!"_

"Sir? Did you hear that?" the three eyed boy asked.

"Hear what?" Gilderoy blinked owlishly, looking up from where he had been engrossed in marveling at a picture of himself.

* * *

Later that night, Riddle had once again invaded Sin's mind as he slept. Needless to say the Homunculi was pretty irate and looking for someone to take his wrath out on when he felt a presence. It was unlike anything he had even experienced before. It was pure malice, with a small amount of envy and anger added to the mix. All in all it was a delightful cocktail of emotional darkness that captured the young artificial human's attention.

"Come out…I know your there."

"Interesting…very interesting. You're the first 'person' to manage to catch sight of me." a voice chirped.

"It'd be hard not to notice a mind and soul that black. I've seen some pretty twisted people before, but you take the taco pal…" Sin shrugged.

"Flatterer." The mystery person purred.

The being possessing Harry blinked in surprise when an eleven year old girl in a Gryffindor uniform stepped out of the shadows.

"Well isn't this an interesting development. Form the sheer amount of black tainting your soul I'm guessing that's not your real body." The Homunculi cocked his head.

'You'd be right." The being possessing the youngest Weasely uttered dryly.

"And I'm betting that you're not out for a casual stroll."

"Nope. I'm doing my part to…cleanse this school of certain impurities."

"A noble goal, to be sure."

"Thank you. Now I have a question. What in Salazar's name is one of your kind doing here? As far as I know, Homunculi don't go beyond Armestris if they can help it…"

"So you know about us. Very interesting. Tell you what. How about a deal: you don't blow the whistle on me, and I don't tattle on you. If that cat behind you is any indication, things are going to get interesting soon. And I want to watch the fireworks. So do we have a deal?"

"Indeed. I suggest you make yourself scarce. I hear someone coming." The redhead said as she melted into the shadows.

"Time to vanish…" Sin smirked as he opened a nearby mirror and disappeared into the Hogwarts catacombs.

Moments after the glassy surface closed, Uryū Ishida stepped around the corner and pursed his lips at the sight of Mr.s Norris's petrified form hung by her tail from a wall sconce.

"Damn. I'd better inform Dumbledore about this…" The potions professor said grimly.

_

* * *

_

Less than an hour later, Sin stood in front of the wall near the second floor girl's bathroom, admiring the handiwork of the mysterious spirit possessing the youngest Weasley. His message was simple and straightforward: THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"Simple and to the point. If I ever meet this guy again, I gotta shake his hand. This Heir guy's got class!" the youngest Homunculi nodded to himself.

His musing was interrupted when he sensed a presence sliding up behind him.

"Ah, Rose! It's good to see you again. We had the chance to talk since that incident in the forest all those months ago." The being possessing Harry smiled.

"You can stop the act now. I know you're not Harry." The pink and brown haired girl spat.

"Meh, I guess the jig is up. No need to pretend anymore…" Sin shrugged and the color bled out of his hair and skin. His eyes flashed as the pupils contracted into cat like slits and darkened from emerald green into violet.

"You're right. I'm not Harry Potter Elric. The name is Sin, and I'm just borrowing his body for the foreseeable future." The artificial human drawled, flicking his wrist.

Rose let out a grunt of pain as an unseen hand grabbed her around the throat and lifted her into the air.

"Now allow me to illuminate the situation. Yes, you could just as easily blow the whistle on me and try to expose me for what I am. But that won't work. You know why?" Sin smiled sweetly.

"Hurk…glarg!" Rose wheezed as the telekinetic grip on her throat tightened.

"It's because of a little thing called first impressions. The side of yourself you showed on the first day of school was not flattering at all. You showed the whole student body and faculty how much you hate me for ruining your life. And because of that, even if you did tell everyone you know, they wouldn't believe you." The psychic giggled.

"Gah!" the desert girl gagged as her vision swam.

"So I'm simply going to let you down and walk away. Because even if you told the entire world, no one would believe a word you say. They'd only see a bitter little girl who's out for revenge." The homunculi whispered mockingly, letting her drop to the floor.

"So have fun plotting against me. I'll always see you coming a mile away and you'll never be able to stop me before I'm finished with my goals." The violet eyed boy smiled contemptuously as the dusky skinned girl despaired.

* * *

The next morning the school was in a state of shock. First the second floor bathroom was demolished by person or creatures unknown, and then Filch's pet cat was apparently attacked and petrified.

In addition, the daily prophet and various other news papers had finally gotten wind of Sin's nightly raids into the various magical animal preserves that dotted the world.

**Rash disappearance of ****rare magical Fauna!**

**By Hearst Inkwell, special corespondent  
**

**Over** **the** **past several** **weeks, the various magical animal reserves have suffered a series of break ins that have robbed them of their most rare and valuable specimins.**

**The list of missing creatures includes a clutch of young dragons, an entire colony of Acromantulas, one of the last nundu on earth, and a mated pair of erumpet. No one is sure how this criminal is capable of sneaking into so many high security areas. The ICW has begun an investigation into these mysterious thefts, which will be headed by Albus Dumbledore with the assistance of the head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones. Details will follow as they develop.**

* * *

"All right Potter, tonight's the night that things start to happen." The three eyed homunculi smirked as he pulled off his school tie.

_"What are you babbling about?"_ Harry shot back.

"You'll see Potter you'll see…" Sin smiled as he walked down to the Ravenclaw common room.

"He looked around for a moment and spied Hermione reading a book by the fire, her legs curled up underneath her.

"Hermione, can you come up with me to the dorms for a moment, I have a couple of things I'd like to talk to you about…"

The brunette looked at him for a moment before closing her book and following along behind.

As soon a the two reached the second year boys dormitory, Sin closed the door behind them.

"First, I'd like to ask you a question, have you thought at all about what I told you last year?"

"Yes, I actually spent quite a bit of time wondering what you meant when you said I lacked some quality that would make me a good alchemist. And after a long time, I came to one conclusion: the mind set I needed was to want to learn for the sake of others, not just to show off what I know…" she blushed faintly.

"Bravo! Hermione! Bravo! I should have known you'd get it eventually. Providing that you show an aptitude for Alchemy, If you are interested I'd like you to become my apprentice. I'm sure with a little work you could go even further than me!"

"Excuse me?" the bushy haired young girl blinked.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're not the picture of physical prowess. Without your wand, you'd be helpless. But there are ways to correct that little flaw. If there were two things that my teacher Izumi Curtis taught my brothers and I. it was the ideals that were the basis of every lesson she taught us. And now I'm passing them down to you." Harry said shortly as he paced in front of his student.

"And those would be?" Hermione asked.

"First, 'there is no fruit of knowledge that does not hold power.' There is no ingot of wisdom that does not have some use. Most of my life has been in the pursuit of knowledge to repair the bodies of my brothers and myself. And I have used every scrap, every iota, of info to further that goal."

"And the second?"

"To train the mind, one must also train the body." Harry said as he pulled off his shirt.

Hermione's eyes bulged as she took in the sight of the well defined muscles of her teacher. A little drool escaped her mouth, but the brunet wiped it before Harry noticed.

"I worked myself into the ground to get into the best shape possible. I bled, I cried, I broke nearly all the bones in my body on the road to gaining the physical power to match my mind."

Hermione gulped as his words sank in.

"By the end of the week, you will dislike me."

Hermione winced.

"By the end of the month, you will actively hate me."

Hermione sweated.

"By the end of the year, you will curse my very existence."

Hermione resigned herself to whatever was to come. She made her choice.

"And after that, you will more than likely wish I had never been born. But the next time you need to fight to win, you will thank me and know that what I put you through allowed you to survive one more day."

Hermione took a deep breath and made her decision.

"Teach me…" she said.

* * *

As Sin laid his head to sleep, Harry had one last thing to say.

_"You are an utterly depraved freak."_

"Sticks and stones Potter. Sticks and stones. What brought this on?" Sin slurred sleepily

_"You didn't tell her about the human transmutation taboo…"_

"Must have slipped my mind!" Lust and Envy's son smirked maliciously.

**Remember folks, read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	25. Chapter 22: Declaration of Intent

Chapter 22: Declaration of Intent

Several days later Hermione stood panting in the middle of a field a half mile away from Hogwarts. A forty five minute work out left the girl utterly exhausted. Like Harry had said, he subscribed to the idea that you have to train the body in order to train the mind, and Hermione needed a lot of work to catch the former up with the latter.

"I can see we're going to have a lot of work to do…" the pre-teen grimaced, pacing in front of his student.

"I'm not that bad…" she winced, clutching a stitch in her side.

Rolling his eyes, "While you might not be that bad off, the high calorie diet the average wizard eats isn't going to help, not to mention that while your mind might be strong, the rest of you needs some serious work. Heck the way you were trying to hit me was laughable! The way you were clenching your fist, one hit and you would have broken your thumb!"

The brunette gritted her teeth, knowing that while the advice was sound, it didn't change the way that the facts were a bitter pill to swallow.

"Is all this really necessary?" the girl grimaced as she started the cool-down exercises that her sensei had shown her earlier.

"Allow me to tell you a story. I read this on one of the history books in the Library. There once was a pair of brothers who were masters of the physical arts. They employed themselves as bodyguards and assassins of the highest order. One day they encountered a magus who had mastered a curse that could shatter bones. The old man spent decades carving every nuance of the spell into his mind until he could recite it in any situation. The brothers proved to be better when they struck the mage first and broke **his** bones. All of the man's efforts were wasted in a single hit. Now what is the moral of this story?" Sin asked.

Hermione mulled over the story for a moment before she came to a conclusion: "All the knowledge in the world won't do you any good if someone is better than you."

"Right, having both brains and ability are better than having one or the other by themselves…" the being in Harry's body nodded

Sin crouched down and slipped (an edited) copy of 'A Guide to Basic Alchemy', into her pack as they made their way back to the school. Actually, Harry walked, Hermione hobbled.

* * *

It was a short while later that the duo walked out of history of magic, tousle haired and sleepy eyed. Even Hermione wasn't able to keep her mind on the class after the lecture about the chamber of secrets.

"So, the heir of Slythein, he…" Harry thought

"Or she." Hermione corrected.

"Or she, is the only one that can control whatever is in the chamber? Is there some way of knowing who the heir is? Maybe a distinguishing birthmark, like a forked tongue or something?" the homunculi questioned.

"Not that I know of. The only trait that was prevalent in the Slythein line was Parstletongue, the ability to talk to snakes…"

"Damn. Ok, next question, how do we find out who the heir is?"

"I don't know. The only way to know would be to have one big genealogy guide to the students and faculty. While most of the purebloods like to brag about how old their lines are, I doubt any of them would be willing to own up to being the heir at this point."

"You got that right. Any student who owns up to being a decedent of Salzar would get lynched, heir or not."

"What we need is a way of going around the houses undetected…"

"The invisibility cloak?"

"No. The individual dorms have wards that prevent entry except for guests and the students that belong to that particular house."

"How do you know that?"

"I read it in _Hogwarts, a history."_ She said primly.

Several minutes passed.

"I have one idea, but a million and one things could go wrong." Harry's apprentice uttered.

"I'm listening." Her sensei replied.

"Have you ever heard of Polyjuice potion?"

* * *

It was several hours later that afternoon when the students and faculty were gathered at the Quidditch stadium

_"And welcome to another match of the century between the millennium old rivals, Gryffindor and Slytherin. I'm Lee Jordan and I will be your color commentator for today."_ The Gryffindor announced.

_"Not to colorful I hope!"_ Professor McGonagall said dryly.

_"No ma'am! I swear on dear old Granny Jordan's grave!"_

_"The one I spoke with yesterday about curbing that tongue of yours?"_

_"Erk! I mean, yes'm! Oh look! The players are taking off. Spinnet passes to Johnson! Look at those Bludgers fly! Fred (or is it George) really nailed that one. I think I saw a few of Pucey's teeth get knocked out of his head! Dunbar's really going to have to hit the gas if she wants to catch that snitch!"_

The match went back and forth for forty five long minutes, before disaster struck.

CRACK!

"GAH!"

Harry leaped back as one of the Bludgers suddenly veered off course and smashed into the stands.

"What the hell!" the last Potter sputtered as he back stepped.

WHA-BOOM!

Sin cursed in all the languages he could think of. The Bludger plowed through the underside of the stands, tearing a gaping hole in the woodwork.

"Everyone get off the stands! This thing's gonna tear it apart!" Harry bellowed as he felt the supports underneath him shudder.

Whipping out his wand, the boy cast a quick shield and yelped as the magical projectile pounded into it like a cannon ball.

Knowing that he couldn't risk exposing his telekinesis, the boy who lived leaped over the side.

_"What are you doing?"_ Harry screeched from inside his head.

_"Improvising!"_ the homunculus answered.

WHOOSH!

Sin twisted in mid air, barely managed to avoid having his ribs powdered.

He latched onto a support column and clung to the underside of the stands.

CRASH!

BANG!

POW!

The Bludger weaved in between the struts, smashing the wood to kindling.

_"Can you move a little faster please?"_ Sin's host cackled.

_"Shut up and I will!"_ Father's newest son uttered.

* * *

Meanwhile, below the stands...

Hermione back a curse as she watched her sensei leap back and forth between the beams as the Bludger came within inched of knocking him silly.

Grimacing, The brunette pulled a piece of chalk out of her pocket and set to work.

_"Let's see...start with two large circles, one inside the other, put this rune here, another there, don't forget these two, Another few at the bottom, connect the sagging __individual support pillars __with lines branching outward ..."_ she thought, scrambling to complete her first transmutation circle.

"Accio splintered wood!" she barked, flicking her wand and banishing the various size chunks of matter into the central array.

Praying that she got it right, she clasped her hands, meditated on focusing her chi, and poured the energy into the circle.

* * *

Harry watched in surprise as the wood under his feet sparked and knitted back together.

Sparing a glance down below. Sin's eyes widened in surprise as he spied Hermione crouched beside a basic transmutation circle.

_"She's coming along nicely. I just gave her that text this morning and she's already figured out enough chi manipulation to pull off a basic transmutation." _The homunculus marveled.

His moment of inattention cost him.

WHAM!

CRACK!

Pain lanced through the boy's body as the bludger slammed into his leg, shattering it and knocking the pre-teen off the scaffolding, all the while mentally swearing to come back and haunt whoever persuaded that magical death tool to attack him.

_"This is going to hurt…"_ Harry realized as the ground closed in on them.

WHAM!

Hermione leaped back and stared at the unmoving form of her mentor for fifteen long seconds.

"Harry? **HARRY!" **she screamed hysterically.

"Move aside now!" madam Pomfrey ground out as Professor McGonagall pulled the frantic girl away.

"His neck's not broken, praise Merlin for small miracles…" the nurse uttered weakly as she levitated the broken body.

"Miracles my finely toned buttocks…" Sin slurred weakly, mentally cursing having to hold back his telekinesis and healing factor.

"Ah! A battle field wound! Allow me to help!" Lockheart butted in.

_"Get that **Chee lun seen Ba po** away from us!" _Harry screeched.

_"On that we agree!" _Sin muttered as he wiggled weakly in Pomfrey's grasp.

"Maybe you should leave that for the nurse to fix?" Al chimed in weakly.

"Nonsense! I've done this a million times!" the DADA professor smiled toothily.

Harry's stomach clenched as the defense professor's spell slammed into his lower half.

As the bones in Sin's legs vanished, leaving a limp pair of fleshy sheaths, he realized his both his hosts instincts and his own were right on the money.

* * *

Sin cursed the inventor of Skele-grow as the painful pins and needles feeling in his legs reached a fevered pitch, preventing any chance of sleep.

Oh course, the conversation he had with Hermione a few hours ago was still on his mind.

* * *

Several hours earlier…

_"I'm going to kill him! I am going to murder Lockheart for this!" Sin ranted, gesturing to his limp legs._

_"You aren't really going to kill him, are you? You'll get into a lot of trouble for assaulting a professor…" she protested. _

_"I know what I'll do! I'll turn him into a flea, a harmless little flea! And then, I'll put that flea into a box, and I'll put that box inside of another box, and I'll mail that box to myself! And when it arrives in a few weeks…Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I'LL SMASH IT WITH A HAMMER!" the Homunculi cackled._

_"I didn't know you were a Disney fan." The bushy haired girl said weakly._

_"It seemed appropriate." He replied darkly._

* * *

What was worse was the note, it stated eight simple words that both chilled him and made his blood boil: _"You never saw this coming. Watch your back."_

Tuning out Harry's snickering, Sin laid back and thought of how to get the potion recipe for Polyjuice. Moste Potent Potions was in the restricted section for a reason, and while the easy path would have been to mind f*** one of the professors and make them write up a permission notice, there was too much chance that any permission slip could make its way back to Dumbledore, and then the jig would be up.

_"So as soon as I get out of here; its time for plan B."_ The homunculi thought.

Suddenly, a quintuplet of voices could be heard outside the infirmary.

"Quickly now!"

"Grab his feet! He's slipping!

"You mind your end and I'll mind mine!"

"So mind it already!"

"Quit your petty bickering and get him in here!" Sin heard Madam Pomfrey bark.

Pulling the curtains aside slightly, the new homunculus sped none other than Creepy Colin Creevey (as he had come to be known for his near fanatical hero worship of the last Potter) being hauled like a sack of potatoes.

"Another one. This is getting out of hand. First Mrs. Norris and now this. If the board of Governors gets wind of this, we'll all be in hot water…" the pre-teen heard Dumbledore mutter.

* * *

"So who's hosting this thing anyway, I heard Professor Flitwick was a champion duelist back in his day." Sin asked a week later.

The student body watched in fascination as Professor Uryū Ishida glided onto the raised platform with Lockheart right behind him.

"Urge to kill…**rising!"** Sin hissed manically.

"He's not that bad…" Hermione protested weakly.

Many of the students flinched when they felt a massive killing intent roll off the last Potter like a tidal wave. Even the normally thick skulled blond realized that staying in firing range was probably a bad idea.

"Per Dumbledore's request, I have started a dueling club to better instruct the lot of you how to defend yourselves. We'll start off with the basics today. Gilderoy, if you would?"

"Now students, I promise not to ruffle your potions professor too badly!" the blond smiled toothily, prompting the female portion of the audience to sigh longingly.

Lockheart and Ishida faced each other.

The blond wordlessly gestured wildly with his wand as the potions professor jabbed like a swordsman.

**"Expelliarmus!" **the defense professor roared.

POW!

The spell slammed into Lockheart with the force of a cannonball, sending the man tumbling through the air, pinwheeling wildly.

BANG!

CRACK!

BOOM!

Gilderoy bounced three times across the room before coming to a stop over fifty feet away.

"Owie…" the blond whimpered as Al helped him to his feet.

"Are you all right sir?"

"HA! A little spell like that won't phase the likes of Gilderoy Lockheart!" the blond boasted.

"Now that the…demonstration portion of the period is finished, I'd like you to divide up into pairs and practice the spell." Professor Uryū drawled.

The students spent next several seconds dividing into groups, until the only two that were left were Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter.

"Look who's lined up for a beating…" the platinum blond sneered.

"You're one to talk. Unless you forgot that I ground your face into the dirt the last time we tangled." Harry sneered right back.

"Remember, all you are going to cast is the disarming spell I demonstrated. I trust you can follow those simple directions?" the dark haired professor looked pointedly at the Slythein.

"Of course professor!" Malfoy said innocently.

_"Time to take a nap Potter!" _Sin smirked.

_"Wait! What are you…"_ Harry protested as an immense lethargy caused him to nod off.

The two took their positions.

"Begin!"

"Serpensortia!" Malfoy barked.

SPLAT!

The moment the snake touched the ground, Sin's telekinetic grasp smashed the magical construct, reducing it to a pile of composite atoms.

"What the bloody…URK!" The malfoy heir gurgled as Sin flung him across the room with a single gesture.

"You really are an annoying little squirt, aren't you Draco." Sin sneered

BANG!

The blonde slammed into the floor like a ton of bricks.

"I mean, it was fun tormenting you: planting the idea that got you kicked out of potions class and blaming it on me, making your teams brand new brooms attack them, the list goes on. You were a perfect patsy to disgrace." Sin giggled.

"What are you babbling about Potter? How are you doing this?"

"Ya see, that's your first mistake: Thinking that I'm that namby pamby idiot alchemist Harry Potter."

"Then who are you?" Malfoy screeched as invisible hands held him down. It was at that moment he noticed the glazed expressions on the students and teachers faces.

_"The name is Sin. And in a few years, you'll be callin' me master, boy!"_ the homunculus purred.

CHOMP!

Draco screamed as the black haired body squatter sank his teeth into the back of his neck. Malfoy howled and writhed as he tried to squirm out of the grasp of the invisible hands that were holding him.

Finally, after fifteen long seconds, Draco went limp. Sin looked up and wiped the blood off his mouth.

Looking around, he modified the student's memories one by one until all they remembered was Draco trying to curse Harry in the back, and getting a spell upside the head for his trouble.

Naturally, the blond wouldn't remember any of this. The last thing he would recall was flinging his summoned snake at his rival's neck.

Draco wouldn't notice the new ouroboros birth mark on the back of his neck for four years, and by that time it would be too late to undo what had been set in motion.

* * *

That night, Sin crept out of the Ravenclaw dorm and toward the Library. This trip had two purposes. First was getting his hands on the Polyjuice potion to keep Hermione occupied in grilling the students about the identity of the Heir of Slytherin. The second purpose was to purloin a few books that contained the really powerful magics that weren't taught to the students. While Harry's body was a nice tool, it had its drawbacks. That incident with the Bludger was a real eye opener. Father's youngest child couldn't rely on his natural abilities to get him out of a jam if he was in deep cover. So finding some good old destructive alternatives was a necessity.

The black haired pre-teen set up a silencing spell around the entrance to the restricted section. Madam Pince always left around ten, so the books were left unattended except for a few protective spells.

After hitting the area with a ward dampening spell provided by his mother and father, Sin got to work.

Going through the stacks one by one, most of the books centered around dark magic that was obviously poisonous in nature. These were the kind of things that rotted your soul from the inside out. The last thing Sin needed was to call any attention to himself by deforming his body with some unknowingly self defacing curse.

That was when he struck proverbial gold!

The first was deep in the stacks, hidden behind a dog eared copy of moste potent potions (which also went into the never full sack that he brought along) was a book entitled _Ancient Magic of the Old World_ by E. A. K. McDowell.

The second was A Guide to Becoming an Animagus, by professor Minerva McGonagall.

These three books would go a long way in arming his host's body into a living weapon.

"Come out slowly!" someone said.

Stiffening, Sin stilled under the invisibility cloak.

TWANG!

THUNK!

The homunculi jerked back when an energy arrow buried itself into the woodwork between two books, an inch from his left ear.

"I said come out. I won't give you another warning." The potions professor growled.

"So much for the rumors about him being the only normal one on the staff…" Sin mumbled under his breath.

WHAM!

A telekentic blow to the chin rocked the demon hunting professor back.

Sin leaped past the staggered professor and ran. Narrowing his eyes, the quincy was hot on his heels.

TWANG!

Another arrow blurred by his head. Sin whirled around and deflected a barrage with a quickly erected mental shield that would have gone through his heart and between his eyes.

"Licht Regen." The potions professor responded.

"Oh **SHIT!" **Sin yelped as a veritable wall of light arrows flew at him. Then everything went black.

* * *

The last quincy didn't like to fight unless he had to But this thing under the invisibility cloak wasn't human by any stretch of the term. It's reiatsu was stagnant, meaning that this thing wasn't alive or dead. The fact that it managed to get into the school and disable the wards protecting the restricted section combined with its status raised all sorts of alarms in his head.

Ishida flipped the still form over with his foot. The invisibility cloak still functioned, despite the fact that the being underneath it was pierced with a hailstorm of arrows.

Just as the Demon hunter was about to reach for the hood, an invisible hand wrapped around his throat and hurled him into the air, slamming him skull first into the stone ceiling.

After knocking the potions professor out cold and stashing him in an unused classroom, Sin pulled off the cloak. He was astonished to see that the rents and tears from the now dissipated energy arrows were growing smaller before his eyes, until the invisibility cloak was as new as the day it was woven.

Another bit of added good fortune was that only one of the books was damaged by the artillery barrage. Sadly, the book on battle magic had been incinerated by the potion professor's last attack, but the other texts had been shielded from the assault.

Sin came to a decision. After this little…debacle, the upper crust of the wizarding world needed to learn that the power players weren't the Pure bloods. No! No! No! Not at all. It was time for the peons to learn that there was a new player in town who didn't care for the rule of society. It was time to hit the nail close to home...with a REALLY big hammer.

* * *

Paravati Patil's eyes widened in surprise when none other than Harry Potter was on the other side of the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Listen, Paravati is it? I need you to do me a favor. Do you think you can tell Ginny Weasely I need to talk to her?" the homunculus asked.

Nodding dumbly, the Indian witch disappeared back into the common room.

Seconds later, the youngest Weasley looked guardedly at Harry.

"What can I do for you?' she asked, blushing slightly.

"Well for one thing, you can dial up your better half, I need to talk to him." Sin grinned.

For a moment, Ginny looked confused, until she shuddered, when the shivers passed, she shot him a furious look.

"You are very lucky I don't rip your entrails out through your nose. I told you that we are going to stay out of each others way. If she hadn't been carrying my receptacle, all the work I put into worming my way into this little girl's mind would be for **nothing**!" the spirit spat angrily.

"Whatever. I thought you might like to take part in the biggest spectacle the wizarding world has ever seen since the Salem Witch hunts!" sin leered.

"Tell me more." The diary bound spirit drawled.

Gesturing to the shadows, the bound and gagged form of Alphonse Elric flew through the air and landed at their feet.

"Have you ever been to a crucifixion?" Sin smirked.

* * *

Several hours later, in the sleepy hamlet of Dublith, Edward Elric was resting after a tortuous training session. Izumi curtsy had not been happy to hear what idiots one two and three had been up to over the past several years.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

Ed blinked in surprise when he spied a snowy owl rapping its beak against the window.

Knowing that this was a message from the wizarding world, the oldest Elric reached over and opened the window, allowing the aviant to deposit its message on the dresser and fly off.

Ed transmuted his pointer finger into a letter opener and slit the envelope, allowing the short message and a single picture to flutter to the ground.

The blond's eyes widened in horror as he read the familiar handwriting.

_Dear big brother_

_Greeting from Hogwarts School of witchcraft and Wizardry. Just to give you a heads up, I'm taking good care of your brother's body. Despite some people's efforts, I'm still in good health. Oh, and Alphonse sends his greetings. He turned up here one day as a teaching assistant to our latest defense professor, Lockheart. Enclosed is a picture of us in the great hall._

_Hugs and kisses._

_Harry "Sin" Potter Elric._

Ed's scream of fury echoed for miles.

Izumi and her husband Sig burst through the door, and were shocked to see Edward Elric sitting in bed, his arms around his legs weeping.

The self proclaimed house wife picked up the picture that had fallen to the floor.

It was of Al, his hands and feet torn from his body, the metallic stumps nailed to the wall. Sin had his arm thrown mockingly around his Brother's shoulders with Al's helmet one one hand and a dagger in the other. The weapon was poised an inch from piercing the Blood seal that tethered the youngest sibling to this world.

**Remember folks: Read, Review, and check out the challenges on my profile page. I added a couple of new ones, so take a look.**


	26. Chapter 23: A war in miniature

**"Gah! This map had better be right..." Zatanna growled under her breath as she repelled into a deep cave, crossed a stream of angry crocodiles, and jumped a bottomless pit.**

**Hours later, she exits the cavern with an old Arabian style oil tucked into her belt.**

**"Let's see if this works..." she mutters under her breath, rubbing the tarnished surface.**

**Suddenly, blue smoke come pouring out, that coagulates into the form of a person, dropping me on my behind.**

**I leap to my feet and twist my head, eliciting a jarring series of cracks as my bones pop.**

**"Seven Months in one of those things will give you such a crick in the neck!" I groan.**

**"While the author is putting himself together, allow me to tell you that he doesn't own any of this. he's just getting his kicks borrowing this stuff." my muse rolls her eyes.**

**"You got that right! Now roll it!" I smirk, snapping my fingers and making us disappear in a puff of smoke.**

Chapter 26: A war in miniature

Hogwarts was in a state of panic for the second time in as many weeks.

Not only had a teaching assistant been attacked and petrified, but brutalized to what one would assume was the point of death.

Note the phrase 'assume'.

Lockheart was more than flummoxed when his teaching assistant (who he assumed was a normal young man under that thick plate armor he insisted on wearing) turned out to be a spirit bound to that very self same suit of armor by a rough blood seal.

After a series of oaths on the part of the people who found him in the great hall the previous morning, the news of what the assistant professor was not going to leave the school.

'Harry' stood vigil beside the still form of his brother, only a few beds down from the injured potions professor: who had been found sprawled in an unused classroom with a long gash across his head and a severe concussion. The middle Elric's expression was stony as Hermione watched silently, his hand resting on the jagged remains of his younger sibling's shoulder plate.

Inwardly, Sin was cackling madly. No one suspected that he had been the one to raid the library, brutalize the assistant defense professor, and knock the potions master silly, all in one night.

"Harry, we have to get to class…" the brunette said silently.

Nodding, sin glanced at his brother one last time.

"Alphonse, despite our differences, you are my brother. I'll find the person who did this and rip his innards out though his ass!" the possessed alchemist vowed.

Hermione shivered from the underlying and utterly furious killing intent laced in those words.

"_Funny, I was planning the same thing for you." _Harry responded woodenly.

"_Hoh_?_ I haven't heard from you in a while." _Sin responded as his apprentice led the seemingly comatose student.

"_When it was just me, I was willing to let things slide. When you hurt Ed, I vowed I would break free and stick you in the darkest coner of my mind I could find. When you started to threaten Hermione, I was going to make you beg me to kill you. Now that you've hurt Al, that's the last straw. Count the remaining hours bastard: Because your days are numbered." _Sin's host uttered darkly.

"_Stick and stones Potter. As long as I'm on this side of the shield, you can't do jack shit."_ The homunculi giggled smugly.

* * *

It was several days later that Hermione and Harry were gathered around the cauldron containing the unfinished Polyjuice potion.

As the girl stirred the potion counterclockwise, Harry examined her face. There were deep bags under her eyes. And her entire frame seemed to droop.

"Hermione, have you been sleeping well?" Sin asked, worried about the health of his apprentice and patsy.

"As well as can be expected, given the courseload, brewing this potion, and our training. I'm lucky to get, three…four hours of sleep a night these days." She responded dryly.

"You know that's not healthy. How can you expect to be able to do anything when your about to collapse from exhaustion?"

"I can handle it. I've lasted this long, and we're about to enter a vital stage of the brewing process, and we need two of the vital ingredients, they have to be added before the end of the week when the full moon rises. I can sleep later after all of this is said and done." She said crossly.

"But…"

CLANG!

She slammed the ladle into the edge of the cauldron, making sin jump.

"Harry. I'm doing this for the benefit everybody. So either help me or butt out!" the bushy haired girl snapped.

"I'm not going to point out that the stuff dripping form the ladle is eating a hole in the floor." Sin gestured dryly.

"Gah!" The brunette squeaked, using a hasty vanishing charm to mop up the mess.

Harry simply looked at her with a raise eyebrow, oozing essence of 'I told you so'.

"Your mother!" she snapped back.

They stood there for a moment, before the two broke into riotous cackling laughter. Hermione almost toppled off the toilet she was perched in she was giggling so madly.

"Oh _fuck_, this has been a shitty ass couple of years, you've been a bad influence on me Potter." the brunette moaned as she wiped tears form her eyes.

"Amen to that." Sin sputtered.

Sighing, the girl plopped the ladle back into the receptacle. "Harry, promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't die."

"Where did this come from?"

"I didn't tell you, but the time when you disappeared was one of the most trying I've ever experienced. Ron died in my arms. You can't imagine how horrible it was to see the light go out of his eyes, clutching his cooling form, watching his mother wailing over his body. And then when they found Snape's corpse in the pit, and Voldemort's face jutting out of the back of his head. No one was sure what happened. Just they they were looking for someone to blame."

"I'm sorry…I…" Sin ventured.

"Don't. Please don't. After word got out among the parents about what happened, I fought with my parents every night about being allowed to return to Hogwarts. The screaming matches we had could be heard from the next houses over. They didn't approve of me going here in the first place. Both my mother and father are dentists, and as firmly rooted in reality as you can get. The idea of magic upset their comfortable lives. I spent the entire summer before my fist year making them see the possibilities." Hermione lamented

"…" Harry stayed silent.

"And when everything hit the fan after Ron died and you disappeared, it seemed like my life was crashing down around me. I never had any friends. Real friends, I mean. All I had were people who wanted to leech off me, take advantage of my brains. And then I found someone who didn't care if I was 'Hermione the brain' or 'Hermione Granger the walking frontal lobe'. You and Ron just cared that…I'm Hermione. And losing the two of you was like having my soul ripped out. Do me a favor Harry. Don't die. Or I might just find a way to bring you back so that I can yell at you." The bushy haired girl said, wiping the final tears form her eyes.

"I promise. Actually, I'll promise if you take a few days to get some rest. I'll take care of getting the ingredients. I might not be the best at potions, but I can manage on my own for a few days while you catch up on some much needed beauty rest. Those bags under your eyes are not your most attractive feature." Sin snorted, holding his hand out.

"Deal…" she giggled, shaking the offered limb.

* * *

It was about three of clock that moning that Sin snuck into the Potions classroom, a small bundle under his arm.

He crept up to the cauldrons in the upper row and picked one at randon, affixing several small bundles to the underside with a sticking charm, and made them vanish with a well placed Disillusionment spell.

* * *

The next day passed without incident. Up until Professor Ishida's first potion class since his injury some time before…

"Now, the next few minutes of brewing are vital to creating a swelling solution. If you don't add the minced dragonfly abdomens after the fifth clockwise stir, the potion won't stabilize, and the object that the potion is applied to will continue to grow until it either crushes everything around it, or bursts from the strain. So be very, **very **careful." the demon hunter orated as his students wote down the instructions.

The next several minutes were spent adjusting the fire under the caulrdons and adding ingredients. That was when disaster struck.

PHSSSSSSS…PHOOM!

Something exploded underneath Goyle's chauldron, sending the containiner full of imperfect and unfinished potion flying through the air. Students scrambled for cover as the sludge splattered everywhere.

Ishida flicked his wrist and summoned a bow, seconds later several arrows materialized which he let fly at the potion container.

FWIP!

FWIP!

FWIP!

Three arrows. Three skewered fireworks.

The potions professor stalked up the stairs and ripped the still sputtering firecracker form the wall.

"If I find the miscreant who did this, that person will find themselves expelled fatster than they can say quidditch! Now those of you who got splashed, line up to get a dose of the antidote!" the potions professor barked.

No one noticed Harry slink out of the teacher's ingredient storage, his robes bulging suspiciously with ingredients, most of which weren't needed for Polyjuice.

* * *

"There." Harry nodded the next night as he added the powdered bicorn horn, having poured in the steeped shredded boomslang skin only a few minutes earlier using a sieve made of knotgrass.

Hermione was curled up in a corner, he head tilted slightly sideways as she breathed deeply, fast asleep.

Smirking slightly, Sin pulled a blanket out of his pack and draped it over her.

"Sleep well my little pawn. Use what little you have left…" the homunculus sneered.

"_Die." _Sin heard Harry hiss.

"Wha…URK!" Sin gurgled as Harry's right hand latched onto his throat and squeezed.

Sin's vision blurred as he clawed at rogue limb, desperately tying to gain even a tiny bit of leverage.

"You're killing yourself idiot!"

"_As long as I take you with me…__**I don't care!"**_the alchemist bellowed.

His vision swam as he tried to telekenitcally take his own automail arm off at the elbow, only for his concentration to falter…then everything went black

Sin woke with a start, his sheets and pajamas soaked with sweat.

"It was just a dream…just a dream…" the homunculus muttered under his breath.

But sleep wouldn't come that night.

* * *

Several days later, Sin watched as Hermione disappeared down the London Expressway, the polyjuice safely hidden in her trunk.

Rolling his eyes, he pulled an envelope out of his pocket and ripped it open.

_Dear Son_

_If you're reading this, than the portkey embedded in this letter will activate right…about…NOW!_

_Hugs and Kisses_

_Envy and Lust_

And the being that was once Harry Potter disappeared to parts unknown…

* * *

"AH! Honey, I'm ho-o-o-me!" Sin warbled as he appeared in the underground bunker beneath the Führer estate.

"Can't you be serious for a moment?" an almost whispering voice hissed.

"GAH!" the human homunculus squawked, whirling around.

"Ever the jumpy one, aren't you? What's the matter? You seem…tense." The voice crooned.

"Pride you…you…" Sin snarled.

What followed from Sin was a cursing streak unlike anything the oldest homunculi had heard in his long life. It spanned more than a dozen languages and would have peeled paint if the room in question had been painted.

"Yare, yare. You certainly do have quite the foul mouth. Father asked me to inform you that you are to accompany Wrath on a mission, as his official escort." The shadowy figure sniffed, unruffled.

Sin stiffened. The long and short of what he was being asked to do was go on an "official mission" as a State Alchemist. This type of assignment had to be of the most vital importance.

"What do I have to do?" the youngest of the eight asked.

"Greed has gone rogue. He took several of our best Chimera and fled the compound, but not before killing several of our scientists. On top of that, many of them were grown from the Magical Animal's you captured. Three in particular were quite promising: one was dubbed Martel, who was gifted with the agility and venom of a Runespoor. Roa was grown from those animals you got in Romania and Dolcette was decanted from the remains of that Greek canine." Pride responded sourly.

"That bloody…" Sin grimaced. This type of assignment would be tricky. Greed was a bastard to beat in a straight up fight. His ability made him a juggernaut on the battlefield, nearly impossible to take down unless you knew his weaknesses, which were few and far between.

* * *

Several days later, the 106 Aremstis armed unit walked through the streets of Dublith, as moe than a dozen soldiers came to a stop outside the run down club that was once known as the Devil's next.

"The road's been successfully shut down sir!" A soldier said as several of his comrads took down the guards outside.

"Good. Your orders are as follows, the Evil Eye alchemist will apprehend the one with the orrubors tattoo, we are to take the ones known as Martel, Roa, and Dolcetto alive if at all possible. As for the rest, wipe them out."Bradley nodded.

"JAWOHL!" the soldiers barked.

* * *

The next several minutes were a bloody mess as anything that moved was swiftly cut down.

Ulchi went down like a ton of bricks as several bullets tore into his torso.

"I ain't goin' back to the labs you pieces of shit…" the crocodile man snarled defiantly.

"On that, we can agree." the soldier nearest to him said as he drew his pistol and fired a bullet between the croc man's eyes.

"Basement level one cleared." The captain nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile, a level below…

SCHLINK!

CRACK!

SPLAT!

Dolcetto, Monacetto, and Falsetto were an unusual trio of chimera, even by magical standards. They looked like an odinay human, except for the fact that thet were of one body, that had three faces: one on each side and one on the front of his head, and six arms. These unusal characteristics made him a demon once he drew his nine swords.

"Kiki Kyutoryu: Ashura: Ichibugin! (demon spirit nine sword style: one mist silver)" the part cerbeus's faces barked as he darted between the soldiers, dicing them with unseen sings of their swords.

"Well, what do you think? Are we strong enough now?" the front head smirked.

"What do you mean 'we'? **I'm** the one that did all the work?" the left face snapped.

"Would you two shut it? I'm trying to get some sleep here?" the right head whined.

"Eyes front!" one of the subordinates bellowed.

The trio's eyes widened when they realized that several soldiers had barged through and were taking aim.

KA-POW!

The wall behind them exploded. A pair of well muscled arms eached out and grabbed the gunmen, dragging them into the shadows.

The sound of fists meeting flesh resounded fo several seconds. Then out stepped the giant bruiser Roa. No one was sure what kind of animal he was spliced with, but the height and bulging muscles spoke for themselves.

"Don't let you guard down." The large man rumbled, picking up a rifle form a fallen soldier and passing it to one of the unarmed grunts.

"What about master Greed?" one of them asked hesitantly.

"Do not worry. He can take care of himself. We need to focus on defending this level until the time comes…" the large man said.

"Good advice. Try not to die first…" Dolcette's left head snarked.

"I could say the same to you!" the right head snapped.

"Would the both of you be quiet?" the front face sneered.

"All three of you shut it!" the large chimera growled, a plume of smoke leaking from his mouth.

The part Cerberus stiffened, his feet locking together and back straight and saluted. "_Sir, yes sir!_" the three faces said in unison.

WHOOSH!

Something breezed by them, too quickly to make out with the naked eye.

"What was that?" the left face, Falsetto, blinked.

* * *

Sin ran through the lower levels like a bat out of hell. He darted around corners and leaped over peoples heads before they even realized he was there. Within a few minutes, he slipped past the remaining chimera and arrived outside Greed's private room.

"Knock, knock, Avon calling!" the youngest smirked mockingly.

CRACK!

Sin swayed to the side, avoiding a chunk of stone that would have torn his head clean off his body.

"You utter bastard. You and those boot licking siblings of mine just couldn't leave well enough alone. You couldn't let me have my big slice of home, could you?" the personification of greed scowled.

"Nope. We weren't planning on it." The younger of the two replied simply.

"Fine. Then don't shed any tears when I slice you're f#&*^$ head off!" the ultimate shield snarled, lunging for the junior homunculus.

CRACK!

The ultimate shield's right cross was intercepted by the sole of Sin's right boot.

The short haired one suddenly whirled around and swung his elbow at the back of Sin's head. The younger of the two ducked at the last second and barely dodged the follow up palm strike to the face.

Greed's eyed widened in surprise when he felt something tug on his jacket.

WHAM!

His vision swam when the younger one pulled and threw the elder over his shoulder and buried his head into the unforgiving concrete.

Sin danced back, "Give it up. I know you can take more punishment than that. If one little blow to the head could finish you, you'd have been dead long ago…" Sin deadpanned.

"Heh…heh. Did anyone ever tell you you talk too much?" Greed snicked.

WHAM!

Sin jerked back when Greed levered himself out of the crater and slammed an open palm strike to the chin…

CRACK!

And followed that up with a punch to the underside of his own flexed elbow, knocking the youngster back a second time.

Sin spat out a broken tooth, glaring at his opponent.

That was when it happened. Greed's skin began to ripple, his hair and lips retracted, leaving his formerly handsome face nothing more than a grinning skull.

"It's time I started taking things seriously. You won't be able to scratch me." The ultimate shield said simply.

"_All I have to do is read his thoughts and react before he can…"_ the young one thought.

POW!

A hight speed right to the stomach left the homunculus feeling like someone had removed his guts out without anesthesia.

"How did you…" Sin gurgled, falling to his knees.

That was when the carbon coated one blurred out of sight, and Sin felt a slight pressure on his stomach.

Greed was crouched in front of his, his hand clenched lightly against Sin's abdomen.

"_Oh fuck me…a pressure attack." _Sin realized seconds before Greed twisted his hand and the attack carved through him like a steak knife.

The being that used to be Harry Potter landed twenty feet away as his blood flew through the air like a geyser.

* * *

CLANG!

Roa flinched as his hammer was rendered useless by the alchemy of the muscular soldier in front of him.

"Dolcette. Leave. Normal methods won't work." The normally silent chimera grunted as he shrugged off his jacket and shirt.

"_RAUUUUGH!"_ the dragon man bellowed, horns growing from his head as leathery bat like wings sprang from his back.

Roa took a deep breath.

WHOOOOSH!

The Major let out a yelp of surprise as his opponent spat out a column of fire.

POW!

The chimera grunted as the Major's gauntlet slammed into his head with enough force to down a plow horse.

"That…tickled." The unaffected dragon man rumbled.

The strong arm alchemist's eyes widened in surprise as he was hoisted up by his belt and driven head first into the wall.

CR-A-A-A-A-A-ACK!-!

Roa roared as he dragged his opponent down the hallway, carving a furrow in the wall with the other man's face.

WHAM!

The dragon man yelped as a right cross smashed into his jaw and toppled him to the ground.

"Major! Move aside!" A captain uttered as he and his squad oved into position.

"Alas I cannot. I'd rather it be myself that take these souls into custody than the Führer." The large man replied.

"Damn it. If that butcher's here, we need to clear…" Dolcetto barked.

His statement was cut short when a sword pieced his abdomen.

"_Gah!"_ the Cerberus man yelped, falling to the ground in a heap, clutching his stomach.

Roa saw red, "DIE!" the dragon man bellowed.

The Führer flowed aound the wild tackle, his swords flashing in the dim lighting.

The dragon man toppled to the ground, a dozen gashes carved into his frame.

* * *

Sin's breathing was shallow as his wounds knitted together slower than he would have liked.

"You still alive, kid?" Greed asked.

"Yeah…probably." The wounded alchemist grunted.

"In that case, this is where I depart. You did good for a half trained novice, but I was just plain better." The personification of greed sneered.

That was when Sin felt something pulse within him.

It was a difficult feeling to describe. It was like someone poured hot water into his veins. Like a feeling of warmth coursed through his body.

Sin tilted his head to look as his legs shimmered and knitted togtether into one long tail. His flesh flaked and turned into emerald scales that crept under his clothes and coated his body. Sin's hair unraveled from it's braid and turned into wild dreadlocks, before turning into snakes.

"Hey Greed…" the now healed homunculus sing songed.

"What?" his opponent scowled, turning around.

POW!

A silver explosive slammed into him with enough foce to shake the building down to its foundation.

"Time for round two!" Sin cackled, grinning widly through his new fangs.

"What the hell?" Greed choked as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Thanks-s-s-s for the push. I needed that to go to the next level." Sin crackedd his knuckles.

"How did you…" Greed gurgled.

"S-s-s-s-simple, I compressed the air into the room into a s-s-s-s-space the size of my fist. This form up's my telkenesis-s-s-s-s-s to the point where I can contol even air molecules!" Sis hissed, his forked tongue darting out.

That was the exact moment when the south wall of the building was suddenly blown inward.

"What the hell was that?" Greed sputtered as the dust cleared.

When the dust cleared, it was then that Edward Elric came face to face with the thing contolling his younger brother for the first time in months.

"Give…him…back…" the oldest growled as several components in his arms and legs clicked and whirred, the recent adjustments coming to life.

"Sorry. I didn't catch that…" Greed blinked, cleaning out his ear with a carbon covered pinky.

"I said…**GIVE HIM BACK!"** the oldest Elric screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes glowing a fuious yellow. His left boot exploded and his right arm began to spin wildly.

* * *

_Several months earlier…_

"_You want me to WHAT?-!" Winry screeched._

"_I need you to weaponize my automail." Ed said simply._

"_But…but….why?" the mechanic sputtered._

"_They took Harry…possibly Al too. I don't know who, but they brainwashed him, they made Harry think he was one of them. My brother was the one who boke my arm and wrecked my mail." Ed uttered, not meeting her eyes._

"_H-Harry did this?" the blond said woodenly._

"_I don't know why, but yes. I'll meet Harry again. And when I do, I'll beat some sense back into his thick skull." The shorter of the two vowed._

_

* * *

_

"**GIVE BACK MY BROTHER!"**Ed screamed as a jet of flame blossomed from his metallic heel propelling him forward far faster than he could move on his own.

CRACK-A-BOOM!

Greed was blindsided when the spinning fist slammed into his already cracked jaw with the force of a mac-tuck.

The ultimate shield suddenly found himself thrown ass over teakettle across the room, bouncing thee times before he was driven head first through the already weakened wall, dumping a half ton of debis on top of him.

That was when Ed turned his wrath on Sin.

"Harry…GIVE HARRY BACK!" the berserker howled, his rotating fist screaming as he swung for the snake haired homunculi.

Eyes wideing his horror, the gorgon summoned several hundred lavender projectiles

P-P-POW!

BANG!

BOOM!

The building shook as the explosive projectiles blasted into the oldest brother, bathing him in flames.

Sin stood there, panting gazing warily at the dust cloud, waiting for the other combatant to emerge: either whole or in pieces.

_VREEEEEEEE!_

The moment he heard the metallic scream of Ed's arm Sin threw a hasty psychic barier up seconds before the wounded Alchemist blurred out of the smoke and threw a wild haymaker.

Both sides bore the horrific screech as the fist drilled into the shield, shrieking like nails on a chalkboard as the barrier fluctuated wildly as Ed slammed his arm and leg into the shield.

"Give him back…."

POW!

"_Give him back…"_

CRACK_!_

"_**Give him back… **_

BANG!

"_**Give them back…GIVE ME BACK MY BROTHERS!-!-!"**_the alchemist shrieked as a jet engine on his elbow came to life, adding even more force to his punch.

It was a classic case of unstoppable force meets immovable object. In the end, something had to give.

**BOOM**!

The shield shattered like ice as Ed's fist burst through and crashed into Sin's nose, then, for the Homunculus, everything went black.

* * *

Sin landed in his mindscape several seconds later, feeling like he had been run over with a steamroller.

"All right, that's it! That asshole has officially lost his life privelages. Scew human transmutation, I'll grow back anything I lose later! I'm turnin' that fuckers brains to water so I can watch it dribble out his ears!" the youngest homunculi ranted.

"_To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour…" _an unseen voice echoed.

That was when Sin took in his surroundings. The psychic was surpised to find that Harry's mindscape had changed from a barren beach to a shadowy forest, with leafy trees as far as the eye could see.

"_In case your wondering what I mean, simply put, time is a relative thing when trapped in here. I've been dreaming of the multitudes of ways I could kill you once I was freed."_ The real Harry said from the shadows.

The color drained from Sin's face when he looked over and saw that behind him was a gaping hole in the ground, the remains of the mental barriers that kept the last Potter a prisoner in his own mind.

"_Everyhting you studied, I learned too. Now I have one thing to say to you…ADEAT!_

POW!

BANG!

BOOM!

The ground shook a more than a dozen swords, each the size of a person cashed into the space where Sin had been standing only seconds earler.

Harry darted out of the shadows and threw a high kick at Sin's head, which the exhausted homunculus barely managed to dodge.

Hary threw a leg sweep that forced Sin to flip out of the way.

"Damn it, how'd you break free?-!" Sin hissed.

That was when it hit him like a ton of bricks…

* * *

_Lust yelped as Dobby waved his hand in a wide arc and lit the alleyway with a bright flash, blinding the trio._

_Envy screeched as Dobby sank his teeth into the shape shifter's hand._

_Sin went down like a ton of bricks as the house elf nailed him in the stomach with a quick spell._

_Lust lunged for the creature, but it disappeared with a pop of displaced air._

_"Let's get going. There have been far too many delays for my taste…" Envy spat as he hauled his wheezing son to his feet and dragged him toward Dante's mansion._

* * *

"It was that damn elf!" the son of Envy and Lust realized.

WHAM!

Harry clipped him in the chin with a palm strike, following that up with a blistering backhand.

"BACK OFF!" Sin bellowed, letting lose a shock wave that cracked the earth beneath his feet.

But Harry was already leaping into the air.

"_Undecimi Spiritus Aeriales Vincalum Facti Inimicum Captatum! Sagita Magica! Aer Capturae!" _(11 wind spirits become bonds to capture the foe! Magic Archer! Air capture!) Hay chanted shooting eleven streamers of wind form his hands.

"GAH! LEGGO!" Sin yelped as he was born into the air.

"To quote something you said to me _I'm afraid that this is a hostile takeover. I'm in charge of this body now. _And I'm taking it back!" Harry roared as he plunged Sin though the hole in his mental shields.

Sin glared at hay from beneath the gound, "You got me. I have to recognize you as the master of this body, for now. But don't forgeteither one of us could become the king of the mountain at any time. If you give me one inch, I'll drag you down here and crush your skull!"

Sin reached through the rapidly shrinking gap and grasped Harry's pants leg.

"And one last warning, if you want my power, don't die before I show up again, and I will. I'LL BE BACK POTTER, COUNT ON IT!" the homunculi aspect bellowed as the gap closed and the lid one Harry's mind slammed shut.

Then everything went white.

As Harry's vision cleared, he saw his brother crouched above him.

"Harry, is that you? How are you feeling?" Ed asked.

"Not bad actually…" the middle bother said weakly as he remembered his foe's final words.

"_I'LL BE BACK POTTER, COUNT ON IT!"_

"No. You won't." the evil eye alchemist whispered.

**Remember folks; read, review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	27. Chapter 24: It all falls down

**"Here's a new edition folks!" I cheer**.

**"It's about damn time!**" **my muse, Zatanna Zatara, snorts**.

**"You certainly are cranky."** **I reply.**

**"I ran out of Bruce clones a month and a half ago." she shot back sourly.**

**"What do you mean 'ran out of'...you know what, on second thought**, **I don't want to know! Roll the clip already while we get this sorted out!"** **I bark.**

Chapter 24: It all falls down

"Can you stand up?" Edward asked as he pulled Harry uneasily to his feet.

Grinning madly, the boy who lived threw an experimental right/left combo before whirling around to do a bicycle kick.

"Yep! I've never been better!" the alchemist smirked triumphantly.

"What do we do about him?" Ed asked, pointing at the unresponsive form of Greed, who was still pinned under a pile of rocks.

"Nothing. He'll only slow us down, and we still have to get through a division of soldiers and the Führer." Harry winced.

"Erm…why would they try to stop us? Are we all part of the same military?" the elder brother pointed out.

"Hate to tell you this bro, but there's more going on here than you know. At the moment we should focus on getting the hell out of dodge."

"And how are we going to do that?" Ed deadpanned.

"I dunno. But the first thing we have to do is this…" Harry smirked, clapping his hands together and altering a section of the ground under their feet.

"What kind of hoo-doo do you have planned?" the eldest brother sputtered, leaping back like a scalded cat.

"It's called a pactio. Think of it as a contract of sorts. By trading bodily fluids, we can establish a bond that not only allows me to supply you with some extra oomph, but give you a powerful artifact as well." Harry smirked smugly.

"Bodily fluids? I love you bro, but I don't love you **that **much!" Ed made a face, stepping back.

"I mean blood you big baby! With squeamish people like you, ya just have to nick yourself and touch wounds!" the middle sibling snorted, grabbing his sibling by the sleeve and dragging him into the circle.

"That's it?"

"Unless you want to make the contact permanent, then you have to swap a different fluid. But in your own words, I don't love you that much!" Harry shivered.

Rolling his pants leg up, Ed transmuted one of his fingers into a stiletto, drawing a shallow gash across his shin as Harry did the same.

They two touched shins as their blood mingled.

POW!

An explosion of brightness nearly knocked them both off their feet as bright motes of light danced around them like a whirlwind.

"What a rush…" Ed gurgled as he sat down.

"Amen to that…" Harry grinned, passing the card to his sibling. It was similar to his own, in that it depicted Ed crouched in a ready stance, holding a spear with an elaborate dragon perched on the center, wings spread wide. In the upper left and lower right was the numeral XVII (seventeen). Underneath his name was the latin title of Plagatus scholasticus, or wounded scholar. And located in the upper right corner was his color Rubor (red), and in the opposite lower corner was the astrological symbol Sol.

Suddenly, the old statistic that no plan survives the first encounter with the enemy reared its ugly head.

"Sir! The operation is… GURK!" a soldier sputtered as Harry slammed the sole of his shoe into his chin.

"That's our cue to get out of here…" Ed grimaced.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside…

The two chimeras sat trussed up like a pair of turkeys.

"Knock knock." Dolcetto snorted.

"Who's there?" Falsetto responded.

"Yura." The left head smirked.

"Yura who?"

"Yura buttreaks!" the first head cackled.

"You do realize thay you're talking about your butt as well." The second head deadpanned.

"Both of you shut it!" the front head snapped.

"How about all three of you put a cork in it before I put a hole in all your heads!" the soldier guarding them snapped.

Suddenly, a slender figure dropped from above.

POW!

One of the armed men dropped in a heap when a booted foot slammed into the back of his neck with the force of a pile driver.

CRACK!

A second stumbled when the same woman threw her knife and buried it between his eyes.

THUNK!

"G-Gah!" the third sputtered weakly as his legs gave out from under his, as Martel withdrew her fangs from the final guard's throat.

"Are you two going to sit there all day, or are ya gonna get out of there?" the snake woman deadpanned, pulling her knife from the soldier's skull and wiping it on her pants leg.

"And how are we supposed to do that? Some of us stick out like sore thumbs!" Monacetto pointed out.

"We have some perfectly good disguises right here." Roa pointed to the downed soldiers.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the sewers below the compound…

"I thought we'd never get out of there…" Ed panted.

"You and me both Bro. We must have knocked almost two dozen soldiers around between us…" Harry grimaced weakly

"Closer to thirty actually." A deep voice replied dryly.

Harry's breath hitched as Wrath, the second most powerful Homunculus in Father's family stepped out of a side tunnel.

"Oh…shit." Harry grimaced weakly.

"I take it that the Führer being here is a bad thing?" Ed asked upon seeing Harry's ashen face.

"It's very bad. Since Evil Eye has assumed control, I can assume that your other half has been suppressed?" Wrath answered darkly.

"Ed, remember what I said about the power boost?" Harry asked as he took out an object out of his pocket.

"Yep."

"Get ready! Engorgio! La Fey Wyllt Flamel Aquinas! Sis Mea Pars, Pe Centum Octōgintā Ministra Harry Potter, Edward Elric!" Harry barked, simultaneously unshrinking the object as he chanted the spell.

The weapon was a scythe. The heft was longer than he was tall, with runic symbols etched along the length. It culminated in a wickedly sharp crescent shaped blade.

Ed let out a strangled gasp as power flooded through him. It was like someone had injected ten shots of expresso into his blood stream.

Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.

This happened just as the king blurred at them almost faster than the eye could follow.

Note the word almost.

"Adeat!" he said instinctively.

CLANG!

Wrath's one visible eye widened as a long, ornate spear appared in the hand of Harry's ministra.

C-CLANK

Bradley crossed his blades just in time to deflect the butt of the spear that would have knocked the wind out of him.

WHOOOOSH!

He jerked back as the dragon attached to the shaft suddenly looked up, opened its mouth, and spat a column of fire that would have incinerated his head had it connected.

"Enough playing around." Wrath snarled as he ripped off his eyepatch.

"CRAP! TAKE HIM OUT NOW!-! Fey Wyllt Flamel Aquinas…" Harry bellowed as he started to chant.

The eldest brother leaped into the air and stabbed the blade of his spear at his opponent's head.

CLINK!

BANG!

Bradley's hand shot out and caught the spear just as it was about to penetrate his face. He swung Ed (who was still holding the spear) in a wide arc and tossed him back down the sewer shaft like a baseball.

"Pathetic. To think that Father devoted such effort into training you…" Wrath sneered.

WHUMPH!

WHAP!

Harry grunted as his opponent slammed the hint of his sword into his stomach. He grabbed him by the ponytail and cracked the flat of his blade across the pre-teen's face.

Wrath's eyes widened as he stepped back just as Ed leaped into the fray, using the shaft of his spear like a pole vault to leap high enough to nearly touch the ceiling.

CLINK!

CLANK!

Wrath's sabers flashed like quicksilver as he blocked the forward stab and turned the thrust aside, his other blade stabbing at his opponent's eye.

Only for the second blade to stop as a quickly transmuted metallic spur which intercepted the slash.

Roaring, Harry blurred in between them and kicked out, smashing his foot into Wrath's jaw. The elderly Homunculus leaned back just enough to avoid receiving the full force of the blow.

Harry whirled the blade in a wide circle, passing it from one hand to the other across his shoulders as he swiped at wrath with the crescent blade.

The Führer almost contemptuously blocked the larger blade with his sword and stepped aside to avoid the shaft that would have cracked open his head.

The twin swords lashed out simultaneously from two directions. Harry turned his back and twirled the staff, blocking one and then the other with a metallic clang.

R-R-RUMBLE!

CRASH!

The ground beneath them suddenly exploded, as Ed's transmuation excited the molecules below them enough the cause them to come apart at the seams.

Narrowing his eyes, Wrath leaped into the air, his blades bared and ready to stab into Harry's vitals.

"Emittam! Δίος τύκος!" the wizard roared, slashing down violently with his weapon.

C-CRACK!

Wrath's body jolted as a massive bolt of lightning tore into him from on high. Colored lights danced in his vision as his nervous system went haywire.

Sadly, the king's momentum could not be denied.

T-THUNK!

The twin sabers speared Harry through the neck and chest skewering his right lung.

Ed's eye widened in horror as his sibling toppled bonlessly into the murky water and was carried down stream.

"HARRY!" the elder brother howled, diving into the depths after him.

* * *

Meanwhile outside…

Roa and Martel were spread out among the rank and file soldiers, doing their damndest to blend in. Meanwhile, the Cerberus chimera was hidden on a nearby rooftop, looking down on the scene.

"What do we do? Master Greed's been captured, all the others are dead. If the homunculi catch wind of us, it's back to the lab." The snake woman muttered.

"We lay low." The dragon man uttered.

"Seems like a plan. If we find where those dogs are keeping Greed, we can break him out later." She nodded.

_"Was that a crack about us? This is one canine that does_ _not was to get put on a leash!"_ the front face of the trio scowled.

"They're not going to put a collar on you. Just find a place to hide for a few days until things die down. You can contact us later…" the runespoor woman muttered into the walkie talkie.

_"Fine. But I expect some primo treats after all is said and done. This mutt does not like being a stray!" _he muttered insolently.

"There are sometimes when I wonder about him…" Martel groaned.

"You and me both." The largest of the three rumbled.

* * *

It was forty five mintes later that Ed emerged from the sewer pipe, frantically scanning the shores of the river for any sign of his missing and critically injured sibling.

The he saw him.

Edward let out a strangled sob as he crawled on hand and knee toward the still form of his middle sibling. The boy was laying flat on his back, the sword sticking out of his neck like some macabre parody of a ship's mast, the other blade jammed through his chest and out his back.

"NO! Nonononono! Don't die on me Harry! Don't die! I just found you again. I can't lose you and Al!" the fullmetal alchemist babbled he he dragged his unresponsive sibling toward the town,

**" 'ull th' 'ord 'ut…."** The paralyzed pre-teen gagged.

"What do ya mean 'pull the sword out?' Do you want to bleed to death?-!" Ed sputtered, ingnoring his joy at the fact Harry was alive in favor of resisting the urge to smack him upside the head.

" 'ull th' 'ord 'ut 'ow….'hibi" Harry goaded.

"**Who are you calling so small that he can dance on the head of a pin?-!"** the teen snarled, grabbing the hilt and giving it a mighty pull.

Ed looked at the bloody tip of the saber in horror the moment he realized what he had done.

Harry's body jerked as the bundle of nerves and vertabre fused back together.

"Thank Alchemy! That severed my spinal column. I was paralyzed from the neck down. I'm gonna have to pay that bastard, Wrath, back for that later, along with those bitches: Lust and Envy." Harry spat as he yanked out the sword stabbed into in pectoral. The wound healed in a matter of seconds.

"Harry…don't take this sthe wrong way…**but what the hell is going on?-!-!" **the blond cackled, his very shallow reservoir of patience at an end.

Wincing Harry shot his brother a long suffering look, "That…is a long story. You'd better take a seat, because this is going to take a while."

* * *

Two long and exposition filled hours later…

Ed sat there with a slack expression on his face, "It's times like this that I regret the decision ever to let you out of my sight…." The oldest of the trio muttered under his breath.

"Hey! It's not my fault that stuff like this happens! Trouble just sort of finds me…" Harry replied weakly.

"Let me see if I've got this story straight. At the end of last school year, you had an encounter with the snake faced son of a bitch who killed your parents." Ed groaned, ignoring his brother's protests.

"Right."

"You got beaten half to death, but managed to pull a win out of your ass at the last possible second."

"Again correct."

"Somehow, against all odds, you got plunked down in the middle a meeting of those Homunculi. They then proceeded to pump you full of enough philosopher's stone to turn you into one of them."

"Yep."

"So now, you've been turned into a Homunculus, meaning that you, my foolish oldest little brother, are not only longer human, but will have a target the size of royal palace on your back because they won't want to let you go. And that means, by association, Al and me as well."

"That's what I said."

"On top of all this, the Führer, the head of our contry's military, is also one of the Homunculi. And he's been part of a project to do God knows what since this nation was founded further back than I care to think about?" Ed said weakly.

"That about sums it up!" Harry chirped.

"Sensei's right. We are a bunch of idiots who can't go five minues without getting into trouble." The oldest of the trio moaned.

"She would say that…right before she beat us to death. Just out of curiosity, where are we anyway?"

"About a mile outside of Dublith." Ed replied woodenly.

"Dublith…Dublith. The name sounds so familiar, but I just can't palce where I've heard it before."

"Sensei lives here idiot!" Ed replied scathingly.

"Oh! That's where sensei…GWAH?-!" The evil eye alchemist sputtered, the color draining from his face as he gibbered in terror.

"That's right. And she has quite a bit she wants to talk to you about." The blond snorted.

Blanching, Harry transmuted a patch of grass into a trenchcoat and fedora, which he donned seconds later. "If you'll excuse me, I have to be somewhere else, like the planet Mars!" the middle sibling whimpered as he tried to run in the opposite direction of his most feared nightmare made flesh.

Suddenly, Harry's vision was blocked by the the sight of the sole of a woman's sandal about to impact his face at terminal velocity.

KA-POW!

Several teeth flew out of his mouth as he careened across the embankment and back into the river.

"Not a chance, Dumbass number two!" Izumi Curtis sneered from where she just booted her second apprentice.

* * *

It was half an hour later that Harry regained consciousness.

_"There's that weird dream again. Winry and Riza were wearing bloomers and hakama, the latter was whacking the former over the head with a bokken, babbling about worst endings, affection scores, and unlocking the Alchemist's feel rout…"_ the middle sibling thought fuzzily.

"Pick up your end!" a familiar woman's voice barked.

"It's hard to pick up my end when you keep jolting yours around! And doesn't this qualify as child abuse?" Big Brother Ed snapped.

"Do you want to get strung up too?" the female voice snarled.

"No!" he squeaked.

_"Why can't they be quiet? I was in the middle of a nap…" _The evil eye alchemist thought as he bounced up and down.

"MRPH?-!" he sputtered, eyes widening as he realized the situation he was in. Izumi Curtis, the most fearsome alchemist in the history of the science, had trussed him up like a thanksgiving turkey. He was bound and gagged, his ankles and wrists ties together. A pole had been thrust through the gaps which were being carried at both ends but his reluctant brother and sadistic sensei.

"MRPH-PHRAM! MRPHAM!" Harry protested around the gag.

"It looks like idiot number two is awake. We have lots to talk about!" she scowled, cracking her knuckles.

Harry, pale as death, fainted.

* * *

SPLASH!

The evil eye alchemist let out a sputter of surprise as a bucket of water splashed him in the face.

"Who's the **gao yang jong duh goo yang** who did that?-!" Harry snarled.

"That would be me?" Izumi currtis said menacingly, her eyes glowing with barely repressed wrath.

Now, contrary to previous descriptions, Izumi Cutris was hardly a menacing figure unless you knew her personally. She was a slim, attractive woman, a dutiful wife, and a kind hearted person. But if you get in her way, you'd better sure as hell hope she'll let you run away, otherwise she'll beat you half to death with her bare hands... of you're lucky.

"Gos se! Gos se! Gos se!" the alchemist of a thousand transmutations whined like a whipped dog as he backed away.

_ZAAAK!_

Utterly desperate, the boy who lived clapped his hands together and transmuted a three foot thick earthen wall between himself and the she devil.

She leaped over the barrier like it was nothing and landed in front of him.

THWACK!

"YOU UTTER FOOL!" Mrs Curtis snarled burying her fist in his stomach.

"I DIDN'T TEACH YOU ALCHEMY SO YOU COULD KILL YOURSELVES!" she bellowed.

W-WHAM!

A double backhand across the face.

"I TAUGHT YOU SO YOU COULD LIVE!"

Harry didn't even try to resist as she slammed her knee into the underside of his jaw, breaking it and knocking out the same teeth that had regrown only a short while earlier.

"ON TOP OF THAT, YOU'RE STUPID YOURSELF MIXED UP IN SOME KIND OF CRACKPOT CONSPIRACY!"

She picked him up by the ponytail and hurled him down the hill behind her house. Even with his regenerative ability, the beating the boy who lived had taken left him curled up in a tight ball.

"It had to have been pain painful." She said sadly, crouching in front of him.

"Not nearly as bad as this…" the evil eye alchemist muttered under his breath.

"_What was that?"_ Izumi scowled.

"Nothing!" Harry squeaked as he felt his internal organs shift back into their proper place.

"Ed's already told me his perspective, but I want to hear it form you. Tell me everything." She frowned.

Wincing, Harry sat up and began his tale…

_His first memory: reading an alchemy text alongside Ed and Al._

_His first transmutation (a clay dog he named Padfoo')._

_Doing his best to comfort a weeping Alphonse and Edward after Aunty Trisha passed away._

_Reknewing his study of alchemy to bring back Aunty Trisha, his mother, and his father._

_Entering into an apprenticeship under Mrs. Curtis after she saved resembool from a devastating flood._

_Learning the basics of survival…the hard way against the masked man._

_Solving the riddle of all is one._

_Training. Training. And training some more._

_Arriving back home months later._

_Designing the human transmutation circle._

_The disaserous transmutation. _

_PAIN! AGONY! TRUTH CLAWING AT HIS MIND, STUFFING KNOWELEDGE INTO HIS HEAD! _

_So much blood! Those things weren't his parents._

_Mustang's offer: either become state alchemist, or go to jail for attempted human transmutation._

_The Automail surgery and the physical therapy._

_Taking the qualifying exam and passing with flying colors._

_Burning the family home to sever all ties with the past._

Sensei was silent throughout his tale.

"You idiots…" she scowled.

Harry flinched, fully expecting another beating.

Instead, she hugged him.

The boy who lived flinched at the unexpected contact before tentatively putting his arms around her.

"It must habe been so hard keeping your family together, keeping Alphonse and Edward from killing eachother."

"Not as bad as you'd think." The three eyed boy replied dryly.

"Even so, you're not my apprentice anymore. You're out." She said flatly.

Harry flinched, expecting such a rejection, but it still hurt.

* * *

Ed watched curiously as Harry packed his meager belongings.

"What…are you doing?" the eldest deadpanned.

"Leaving. She obiously doesn't want me here." Harry shrugged flatly.

WHAP!

"YEOWCH!" Harry yelped as Ed slapped him upside the head.

"She pulled the same thing with me. Just because we're not master and apprentice anymore, doesn't mean we can't talk to her, not to mention pick her brains for the info we need." The oldest brother pointed out.

* * *

Weeks later…

Hermione lounged on the balcony of her hotel room overlooking the pool, clad in a flattering one piece; a book perched on her lap.

Azulara was curled around her bicep, enjoying the sunlight as she purred in contentment.

FLAP! FLAP!

The serpent on her arm hissed irritably at the interruption, glaring menacingly at the nervous post owl.

"Hush." Hermione admonished, tapping the snake's nose.

She slit open the envelope and read the contents within.

_Dear Hermione_

_This letter comes from my Sensei's home town of Dublith. I'm here with Edward getting a refresher course of sorts. I've already looked death in the eye more than a dozen…_

The letter suddenly trailed off into unidentifiable scribbled interspersed with what looked like bloodstains.

_As I was saying, I'm getting a refresher course from my kind, wonderful, loving sensei. How are things in the States? Things are pretty hectic here. I wasn't home more than five minutes before I was attacked. Ed said he's probably coming with me back to England. After the way things turned out here, we're probably going to be persona non grata around here for a while._

_Can't wait to see you at school. It'll be nice to see another friendly face after so much pain…_

More blood stained scribbles.

_I mean after so much TLC._

_See you soon._

_Harry Potter Elric_

_P.S. We have to talk about your training. It's been pointed out that there have been some rather…hazardous gaps in your knowledge that should have been covered first and foremost. I'm very sorry. Rest assured we'll get past this together. In the meantime, don't be surprised if you don't see me on the train. There's a good chance I'll probably have to keep my head down. I have a good idea who the heiress of Slytherin is. And no, that's not a typo. If something happens to me en route or I don't make it to school, show this letter to Dumbledore. The old meddler will know what to do._

Hermione felt a chill run down her spine as she folded the letter closed.

* * *

It was a month later that Harry borded the train alongside his ministra, his Brother, Edward Elric. Both were disguised, Harry wearing a crimson wig, and blue contacts. While Edward had donned a pair of glasses, and cut off his signature pigtail. Both wore Hogwarts robes.

_"Remember the plan?" _Harry telepathically sent.

_"It's hard to forget. You send out a bunch of those viral telepathic commands you came up with to keep the students away from the cars nearest to Ginny Weasley, and then we try to confront her."_ Ed replied.

_"Right on the money bro. Just try to keep this bloodless if at all possible. The girl is innocent, despite everything she's done." _

With that, the two trudged up the steps, Harry making eye contact every few second. Before they knew what was happening, the lion's share of the students found themselves inexplicably gravitating away from the middle car.

* * *

The youngest Weasley didn't know why, but the middle car was inexplicably empty. She hadn't seen hide nore hair of her friends or her brothers in more than an hour. Even the witch who was in charge of the snake cart had made herself scarce.

CLUNK!

She looked up, and the young girls eyes widened in surprise when she spied a pair of unfamiliar students clad in Sytherin and Hufflepuff robes.

"Frau Weasley?" the spikey haired blond uttered thickly through an unfamiliar accent.

"Y-yes?" she winced, backing away as the redhead uttered a locking spell.

"Bring out your other half now, or he'll be without a host." The crimson haired boy snapped, unshrinking a scythe and leveling the blade at her neck.

The youngest daughter of Molly and Arthur trembled in fear before everything went black.

* * *

"Vector bullet!" the crimson eyes girl sneered, slashing her wand in a wide circle.

WHAM!

BAM!

Ed and Harry let out identical yelps of pain as arrows appeared under their feet, and an unstoppable force pushed them apart.

"With this kind of magic, I can control the direction of any object I shoose?" the spirit explained blandly as an arrow appeared under her feet, making her blur at the two.

CRASH!

A single mighty kick sent Ed shooting through the west wall and into the compartment across the corridor.

"Fey Wyllt Flamel Aquinas! Defelxio!" Harry yelled.

The petite girl's foot smashed through the wind barrier and arced toward the boy's chin.

WHUMPH!

WHOOSH!

Harry caught the girl's foot and twisted, sending the youngest Weasley tumbling.

SHING!

Harry ducked as a white blade sprang out of her arm and carved a chunk out of the air where Harry's head had been.

"Ensis Exsequens. A favorite of an old teacher of mine!" She sneered.

"Attakieren! (Attack!)" A voice snarled.

Suddenly, a crimson blur arced over Harry's shoulder and leaped onto the girl's face, biting and clawing.

"What happened to "keeping it bloodless'?"

"Sie versuchen es Unblutig wenn jemand stiefel sie durch eine Wand!" Ed snarled, which roughly translates to 'You try keeping it bloodless when someone boots you through a wall!'`

The two leaped back as the dragon that had been attached to Ed's spear flew past their heads.

"Now….I'm angry! Hebi Schlange Serpent serpiente! Melodia Bellax! " Ginny hissed.

CRASH!

Before Ed even realized what happened, Ginny had blurred in front of him, grabbed him by the lapel of his robes, and almost negigably tossed his across the train car and through the east wall.

And he plummeted out of sight, the only sound to be heard was the putter of the train car and the distant splash of a body hitting the water far below.

Harry was absolutely gobsmacked. His mind stalled as he tried to process his brother's disappearance.

"What's going on here?" A pompus voice asked.

The Evil Eye Alchemist's eyes widened in surprise as the last person he ever wanted to see suddenly entered the room.

"Imperio!-! the young girl hissed, jabing her wand at the blond fop.

Harry backed away. The situation had just gone from back to worse. His brother and ministra was MIA, and the fight was two on one.

"Hebi Schlange Serpent serpiente! Ex Somno Exsistat Exundans Undina Inimicum Immergat in Alveum! Vinctus Aquarius!"

Suddenly, the ambient moisture in the air collected into tendrils and bound Harry's arms to his sides.

"In thirty seconds, use your most powerful spell on him!" the young girl instructed the entranced teacher.

"Of course!" Gilderoy Lockheart replied amicably as she left the room.

* * *

Moments later…

"What's going on?" Hermione sputtered as Ginny was sent sailing out of the train car.

"I-it's professor Lockheart! Harry and I were taking when he barged in and attacked us! He was babbling about keeping the boy who lived quiet!" she replied tearfully.

"Out of the way!" an athoratative voice barked. Professor Minerva McGonagall plowed through the crowd.

No one noticed Ginny slither through the throng, a satisfied smile on her lips.

With a sweep of the Scottish woman's wand, the door shattered off it hinges.

The blond's wand was pointed between harry's eyes.

Silence reigned as three words pierced the quiet.

"Hello all. _Obliviate!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the Main Hall of the Central military base an assembly was taking place unlike anything in the Nation's history.

It consisted of every single member of the Armestris Armed forces, from the top brass, the lowliest private, to the most decorated alchemist.

The Führer was about to make one of the most stunning announcements in his lengthy career.

The man hobbled out the front doors of the hall on crutches, the right half of his face obscured by bandages.

"Today, I have a grave announcement to make. Two of our own have gone beyond the pale and not only attempt to assassinate me, but in addition broken the sacred tenant set down by our forefathers: that Alchemy must not be allowed beyond out nations borders. Edward, Fullmetal Alchemist, Elric, and Harry, Evil Eye Alchemist, Elric, are now enemies of the state! And as such, they must be hunted down with extreme prejudice! For the good of the nation, nay, the world at large, these two traitors must be brought to justice! To those of you who are willing to bring these two fool to heel, raise your weapons!" Bradley Bellowed, pointing his lone remaining saber to the sky.

Almost as one, the sea of soldiers raised their alchemical arrays, weapons, and all manner of armaments.

"JAWOHL! JAWOHL! JAWOHL! JAWOHL!" the masses roared.

* * *

Shortly after the rally…

Colonel Roy Mstang stood before his five most loyal subordinates; Lt. Riza Hawkeye, 2nd Lt. Jean Havoc, 2nd Lt. Heymans Breda, Warrant Officer Vato Falman and Sergeant Major Kain Fuery.

"We are being transferred to central to begin a new assignment, the flame alchemist said gravely.

"But sir! I just got a girlfriend!" second Lt. Jean havoc protested.

"We'll discuss your love life. This assignment has been handed down by the Führer himself. We are to become a task force with one mission and one mission only: As distasteful as it may be, we are to lead the hunt for Harry and Edward Elric.

* * *

And Below the Führer's compound...

"Welcome home child. How goes the rally?" the shadowy figure of father said.

"Well enough. The Sacrifices will be returned to the fold soon enough. And...one more detail." Wrath replied.

CHI-I-I-I-I-NG!

The sound of rattling chains resounded as the slab of concrete Greed was pinned to (literally since Wrath had impaled him on a cross shaped the stone through the shoulders and thighs).

"How nostalgic. The prodigal brother returns!" Lust purred.

"The Bastard's fakin'. Wake up!" Envy sneered, lashing Greed across the face with a tentacle

"Serves you right, "Mr. ultimate shield"! the redhead giggled.

"Love you too, Ms. Ultimate Lance. How about you ditch stick boy over there and try me on for size?" Green leered.

"Not happening!" Envy sneered.

"So, where's Sloth and Pride?" the prisoner asked conversationally.

"Pride is in position above ground as you know, and Sloth is still working on his project far north." Bradley replied, not meeting his sibling's eye.

"Unlike that effeminate, ugly bitch next to lust!" Greed prodded.

Suddenly, the room was flooded with killing intent.

**_"What did you say, faggot? do you want to die?_****"** Envy rumbled, his skin flickering wildly.

"Enough!" Father glowered at his unruly children.

Even greed flinched.

"Why did you betray me?" the master asked of the seven Homunculus asked.

"You really don't get it, do you? I'm **Greed!** If I stayed, I'd never be satisfied! I'll always want more, money, women, power! I want it all, because that's the way that old Bat Dante made me!" the ultimate shield cackled.

"I'll ask you again, will you join me once more?" father asked.

"Um, hell no!" Greed grinned wolfishly.

"I see.." Father signed as he reached for a switch.

"A moment Father!" Envy interjected.

"Yes, my child?" the master drawled.

"What's the best way to punish someone who's greed knows no bounds?" the slender Homunculus asked, leering sadistically.

A beat.

Envy strolled to his Father's side, "Take **everything** away from him. And I do mean **everything!**" Lust's other half purred.

"Indeed. That is appropriate." Father nodded as he approached the shackled form of his disobedient child.

Greed's howls of agony echoed through the catacombs.

**Another chapter done folks. Remember folks, Read, Review, and check out the challenges on my profile page.**


	28. Chapter 25: Picking up the pieces

**"Here we are again, with another (much belated) chapter of Evil eye alchemist!" I sigh wearily.**

**"Got that right!" Harry Elric snaps from off stage.**

**"Would the peanut gallery please SHUSH!-! And on that note: Security!" the author barks.**

**"Secalp esaelp?" my muse says, teleporting the angry character into position.**

**"Sorakage Sama doesn't own any of the elements of this story. He's doing it for kicks!" Zatanna adds.**

**"Roll film while I try to ferret out any other disgruntled characters waiting in the wings…" I roll my eyes.**

Chapter 25: Picking up the pieces

Much like his initial meeting with the enigmatic dimensional witch, his senses rebooted themselves one by one.

Starting with smell: the antiseptic sent of disinfectant, cleaning fluid, and potions.

Touch, the feeling of fresh cotton sheets cradling aching body.

Taste: probably the sour flavor of a pain reliever potion.

Sight: the world was a blurry mass of colors. This meant that his glasses had been taken off.

Finally hearing, he could detect the murmur of voices speaking softly by his bedside.

"Really Ms. Granger, this is highly irregular!"

"I'll tell you what's irregular; my best friend being attacked on the school train!"

_'What does she mean 'attacked'"_ the boy who lived thought muzzily.

"On that point we agree!" That Charlatan never should have set foot in this school!" the voice of madam Pomfrey snorted.

"I wouldn't call him a charlatan…" the bushy haired girl replied weakly.

"Ms. Granger…" the nurse said warningly.

"But that's neither here nor there! What did the medi witches and wizards say about Harry's condition?"

"They said that a disturbingly large chunk of his memory has been erased. They can't be entirely sure **how** much is gone."

That statement made Harry shoot out of his seat.

"What do mean my memory is gone?" he yelped, shitting up.

CLANG!

Only to fall back to the when his forehead collided with a medical lamp the school nurse was pointing at his face.

"OWWWWW!" the state alchemist snarled, clutching at his abused head.

"Providing he doesn't cause anymore brain damage…" the nurse deadpanned.

* * *

Several minutes (and one headache potion) later…

"Mr. Potter, this is very important, what is the last thing you remember?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Voldemort. I remember fighting the snake faced b#$^* who was possessing Snape, an explosion, and then nothing." The boy who lived said weakly.

The nurse and Hermione shared a worried look.

"That's…not good. Harry, I don't know how to tell you this, but it's been nearly six months since that happened." Hemione explained.

"Six…Months? I've had six months of my memory erased? Well fill me in! What the hell's happening? And where's Ron? You'd think the _dummkopf_ would have been the first one of the first ones here!" the boy who lived sputtered.

The bushy haired girl flinched, "Harry…Ron's dead." She said weakly.

The middle Elric jerked back as if someone slapped him across the face.

"H-Hermione, if that's some kind of joke, it wasn't funny!" Harry scowled.

"It wasn't a joke. The joke is me having to stop you from going over the edge and nearly ripping Malfoy's head off his misbegotten shoulders! When we went into the hidden chamber Fluffy guarded, Ron sacrificed himself to get us past the giant chess set. He gave his life to keep Voldemort from being resurrected. And how did you repay his sacrifice? By going on some fool crusade and nearly getting yourself killed **again**! Do you want to leave your student alone? And after you promised not to throw yourself into situations like that?" The young woman replied acidly.

CRACK!

POW!

BANG!

The trio flinched when several vials of potions suddenly exploded without warning.

Wordlessly, Harry leaped out of the bed and srinted out of the room.

Hermione pulled out her wand and nearly yanked Harry back, but Madam Pomfrey stilled her arm.

"Ms. Granger, I realize that your temper is a tad short given the stress of current events…but there is a word that I think you should know about…it's called tact!" the matron snapped at the cringing girl.

* * *

As Harry ran through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts, his mind whirled…desperately trying to comprehend the conversation only a few minutes before.

_"Ron is dead…My best friend probably died because of me." _

Memories gone, no way of knowing what had happened these past several months.

_"Ron is dead…My best friend probably died because of me." _

All alone in a school with a population of several hundred people. Far from his home and his family.

_"Ron is dead…My best friend probably died because of me." _

WHAM!

"OOF!"

"ACK!"

Harry yelped as he plowed into a female form with all the grace of a mac-truck.

"Watch where you're going…Potter?" Rose sputtered blanching when she saw the three eyed teen.

"Rose! Thank the Gods and Goddesses of Alchemy I found you! I never thought I'd be saying this, but…I need your help!"

* * *

Several minutes later in an unused classroom…

"So, the rumors are true. Lockheart erased your memories, and all of the last several months have been totally wiped clean?" she asked speculatively.

"Yes. And what I've been hearing so far has me worried; attacking Malfoy, suddenly deciding to teach Hermione Alchemy… even though I promised myself that was one thing I'd never do. Students and faculty are being attacked left and right. And now bloody _Lockheart_ of all people turns on me and wipes my memory of the past several months, including the time I was missing after Voldemort teleported me away, clean. I don't have to tell you how worrying that is." Harry grimaced.

"I can imagine…" she deadpanned.

"I have a favor to ask. Keep an eye on me. If I do anything out of the ordinary, go to one of the teachers, someone who can keep me locked down until they can find out what's wrong. I know we didn't get off on the right foot, but I need help. Hermione isn't objective enough to be trusted with this. I need someone to keep an eye on me, and do what's necessary. The boy who lived said sourly.

"I think you can trust me." Rose nodded.

* * *

Later that night…

Rose closed the curtains of her bed and uttered a quick locking charm, followed by a silencing spell.

"Dobby!" she hissed.

The slightly mad house elf appeared with a pop of displaced air.

"Ms. Red flower wishes to speak to Dobby?" the house elf said softly.

"I take it you were listening to that conversation between Harry and me?" the bi haired girl asked rhetorically.

"Dobby…might have been leaving an ear or two in the coming and go room?" he wheedled, not meeting her eyes.

"Then I want your opinion. Was that really Potter I was speaking to? Because I don't want a knife in the back if it wasn't." she asked.

"Dobby isn't being sure. The spell I is hitting him with breaks down mental barriers. If the great and powerful Harry Potter is winning against not-Harry after being trapped in his mind, then spell might free him."

"And if he lost?"

"Than not Harry is being very good actor." The pillow case clad elf grimaced.

"There's no avoiding it. Whenever you can, keep tabs on him. The last thing we need is something like that running around this school in the body of a State Alchemist. There's too many variables to consider. All we can do is watch and wait." The dark haired girl frowned.

* * *

The next day that another change was made in Hogwarts.

"A transfer student? They do that here?" Rose blinked owlishly.

"It's rare, but not unheard of." Hermione shrugged, nibbling on a slice of toast.

"Meh, no skin off my nose. It's just one student. What harm could it do?" Harry asked, watching a blond first year student walk by carrying a lampshade.

Everyone watched as an unassuming young girl (Levi, Adriana, according to professor McGonagall ) with dark, almost blood red, hair blue almond shaped eyes, and pale skin placed the sorting hat on her head.

The school watched as the hat argued furiously with the girl for more than five minutes before screaming "SLYTHERIN!-!-!" at the top of its lungs.

* * *

It was that night, Hermione and Harry finally completed their several months long project.

"Well, is it ready?" the boy who lived asked.

"As ready as possible. Now we're only missing a single ingredient…" she replied, flipping through the potions test.

"And that is?" Harry asked.

"Hairs from the people we intend to turn into. This has a shelf life of two weeks. So we need to get the hairs, and get into the other three houses, before we can do this. And our first stop should be the Slytherin house. It's only logical after all." She shrugged.

* * *

Needless to say, procuring hairs from the various students was harder than it sounded. Most of the school's population could be found running around in packs of three or more. And wrangling a lone person was not going to be easy for Harry (in theory). Hermione had apparently had hers since sometime last year after she had knocked the pug faced girl, Millicent Bulstrode, on her rear during the brief existence of the dueling club.

In practice, it proved to be much simpler.

It was several days later that Draco Malfoy was strutting down one of the upper corridors on his way to charms class. In his mind, he was pureblood, and there for untouchable.

Needless to say, in a few moments, he was about to learn that this was untrue.

Harry Potter passed by in the opposite direction, and muttered a simple tearing charm under his breath, sending the beam of magic though the crowd, and into the blonds' pack, spilling the contents on the floor.

The boy whirled around, his expression twisted into one of utter fury. This turned into a look of disbelief when he saw Harry waving mockingly at him.

Draco tore after Harry like a man possessed, his mind only processing the words KILL! MAIM! DESTROY! MUTILATE!

The chase went on for several long minutes as Harry quickly led his nemesis into one of the lesser used corridors on the fifth floor of the castle.

"You're not going to get away from me! Now I'll use those muggle moves you love so much to put you in the hospital wing!" the pale boy cackled, throwing a flying kick at his tormentor.

Harry sidestepped the blow, causing the other boy to slam foot first into the wall. The Slytherin landed awkwardly, and stood there, half on, half off the staircase for ten seconds before Harry gave him a gentle shove that sent him tumbling down the spiral staircase.

BUMPA-BUMPA-BUMPA-BUMPA-BUMPA!

"OW! AGH! EEK! WAUGH! WHOOP! GAH!"

"Oh my, how the mighty have fallen!" the evil eye alchemist snickered before taking a leisurely stroll to pluck a few hairs from his dazed school mate.

* * *

"_'How the mighty have fallen'?_ Really?" Hermione uttered as she shot her partner in crime an arch look.

"You try coming up with the one liners. It's harder than it looks!" the boy who lived snorted.

"And did you really have to shove him down the stairs?" she asked disapprovingly.

"Maybe it was a little extreme, but we needed the hair, and the person had to be out of the way for a while. My way might have been a little over the top, but it got the job done…" Harry pointed out.

"But still, that was taking things too far! I don't care how much you needed Malfoy to keep out of our way. If you ever pull another stunt like that again, **I'll** be the one to defenestrate you in retaliation!" she scowled.

Harry sat there for thirty long seconds, before realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

_"Was Zur Holle was I thinking?-! What possessed me to even think of doing something like that?-!" _Harrythought, face palming, and thanking the gods of alchemy that he enlisted Rose in keeping his on the straight and narrow, a task that had just become all the more necessary if behavior like that seemed even momentarily logical. The middle Elric shuddered, hearing a faint dark chuckle, despite the fact that no one else was in the room.

"We can discuss this later, Grasshopper. Let's get this over with. I have some heavy duty meditation to do that'd I'd rather not miss. So let's get this over with." The alchemist groaned, scooping a cupful of potion and dropping a single pale blond hair into the mix. The concoction bubbled and frothed before turning a sickening grey yellow.

"Ugh! Essence of Malfoy? Sure you don't want to switch?" Harry asked uneasily.

"Not on your life…" Hermione uttered blandly, gazing at her own acid green potion.

The two sequestered themselves in their respective stalls, heedless of the sad gurgling of a certain spirit a few feet away.

_"Don't drink that potion, you moron!" _a familiar voice barked.

Shaking his head, Harry chugged the potion and nearly gagged the moment the strong, almost vomit like flavor coated his taste buds.

It was at that exact moment that the tearing, gut wrenching pain in his shoulders as the stumps began to bulge and quiver clued Harry in to the biggest problem with the plan: his prosthetics.

Realizing that the rejection of the Automail couplings would tear him apart, the boy who lived did the only thing he could think of to stop the transformation process; he opened his mouth as wide as possible and jammed his spasming fingers down his throat.

Immediately, the age old response to the foreign intrusion asserted itself as Harry voided the contents of his stomach, potion included.

Grimacing as the pain faded into a dull soreness, Harry crouched on the stall, his head resting against the cool surface of the surrounding metallic walls.

_"That…was the stupidest thing I've ever done. Gotta remember to have Winry look over my hookup to make sure I didn't damage anything…" _Harry mentally groaned.

A sudden knock interrupted his mental reverie.

"Harry? Are you okay?" the grunting voice of Millicent Bulstrode asked.

"No…I'm not…" the boy who lived grimaced, stumbling out through the door and falling to his knees.

"Harry! What happened?-!" she gasped, propping the boy up, the rivulets of blood trickling down his arms leaving little puddles on the floor.

"My Automail…the potion didn't agree with it…" the evil eye alchemist grunted. The color drained from the girl's face.

"Are you…can you…" she asked hesitantly.

Harry experimentally flexed his fingers. The movement was more than a little sluggish, and the shoulder gave the occasional weak spark, but both limbs were still functional.

"It's not perfect. I'm pretty sure it didn't do any permanent damage." He said weakly.

"Do you want to stop? Maybe we should wait until another day?" the boy's apprentice protested.

"Can't. The potion has a limited shelf life, and it would take too long to remake. Slytherin's monster could kill three quarters of the muggleborns in school by then." Harry grunted, stumbling to his feet.

"But how are you going to get into the common room?" Hermione protested.

"Don't forget who you're talking to, grasshopper. It'll be a bit of a strain, but this eye of mine can erase me from people's perception. Combine that with the invisibility cloak, and they won't even know I'm there." The boy who lived said weakly.

* * *

The trip through the lower corridors of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry was surprisingly short (mostly due to the intel Harry had gathered over the past several days via invisibility cloak).

"Pure-blood." The flat nosed girl said confidently.

The statue gave a shuttering hiss, eyeing the space that Harry occupied before sliding sideways.

Harry blinked, the Slytherin common room was surprisingly well decorated. The walls were paneled with dark wood, and the glass ceiling gave a clear view of the lake above them.

Hermione/ Milicent eyed the nearby bookshelf covetously. The girl actually had to wipe a string of drool from the corner of her mouth. She walked toward the towering shelf, only to have Harry grab her by the scruff of her neck.

_"Remember Grasshopper, we have one hour! Get the info and get out!" _the alchemist hissed.

"Right, right…" she grunted sourly, taking a seat by the fire.

Hermione/ Millicent pulled out a charms essay and began to quietly write, all the while keeping an ear on the nearby trio of Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, and Tracey Davis, the gossip queens of the school.

"So, did you hear the latest news from the infirmary?" Pansy asked eagerly.

"No! So dish already!" Daphne almost pleaded.

"Does it have anything to do with Draco being found on the seventh floor, knocked out cold?" Tracey piped up.

"According to Draco, he swears up, down, and sideways that Potter lured him down an unused corridor and (after a long drawn out battle during which he had Harry on the ropes the entire time) the Ravenclaw golden boy knocked him down the stairs." Pansy snorted.

"Yeah right! The ferret probably tripped over his own two feet. Remember what happened in potions class months ago? Draco was stupid enough to blame Potter for almost ruining Longbottom's potion, even though the professor saw him do it." Tracey rolled her eyes.

"It's little wonder that his standing here has dropped do much. The boy wouldn't know how to make allies and influence people is someone handed him a how to list." Pansy snickered.

"And to think that he tried to…" Daphne said tiredly.

"Shush!" Pansy hissed.

"What? Don't you dare hold out on me!"

"If you MUST know. Before Draco took a trip, he claimed that he knew something about the heir**ess** of Slytherin." Pansy snorted.

"What?-! It's a girl that's doing all of this?" Daphne goggled.

"Yes. But that cuts the suspect pool down to about half the school, isn't that right Bulstrode?" Tracey asked easily.

"Closer to forty percent actually, not counting the teachers. If you do count them, it's forty one exactly." Hermione answered automatically. Her eyes widened in horror as she slapped her hand over her mouth.

_"Oh, Hermione…you and I are going to have a talk about your acting skills after everything is said and done…." _The last Potter mentally moaned, face palming.

"I thought it was strange that Bulstrode was here. Last I checked, Millie said she was going to be in the library, writing the last few feet of her history of magic assignment, until midnight at least!" Pansy smirked slyly.

_"Make that a LONG talk…" _Harry amended.

Hermione gulped as she was surrounded on three sides by the gossip queens.

"Now, how about we play a little guessing game to figure out who you really are?" Tracey cooed.

"Since this isn't a spell, you must have brewed a potion (probably Polyjuice) to take on our friend's appearance." Daphne smirked, pinching the Ravenclaw's cheek.

"That means you're smart, which cuts out a chunk of the school's population (most of which are Gryffindor.)" Pansy piped up.

"Which leaves Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff." Tracey tapped her chin.

Hermione's eye twitched.

"Aha! A reaction!" We're on the right track" Greengrass smirked.

"Since you're so comfortable in this form, we can probably discount most of the male population of the school." Tracey nodded.

"Most?" Hermione blinked.

"Well. There were those rumors about Terry Boot occasionally masquerading as Terra Bootlington." Pansy giggled.

"So you're one hundred percent female, probably from Ravenclaw. That cuts it down to less than fifty." Daphne crowed.

_"Hermione, on the count of three, I'll create a distraction. Make your way to the mirror on the south wall and twist the bronze snake ornament on the top." _Harry hissed in her ear.

_"One…."_

"So, by process of elimination, there's one female student ballsy enough to brew the potion properly, and infiltrate the Slytherin common room." Pansy pointed out.

_"Two…"_

"So by process of elimination, we've more or less figured out who you are. So all we have to do is wait for the potion to wear off. So rather than watch the bloodbath that occurs when the rest of the snakes see who you are, we'll be taking you up to the dorm to wait this out." Daphne grinned icily.

_"Three!"_

Pansy's eye's bulged when a gloved hand suddenly materialized in mid air, holding a wand. Naturally, she assumed that the target was a person. This was her mistake: it was the ceiling.

"DUCK!" the witch yelped.

"Reducto!" Harry hissed as quietly as possible.

The crimson spell zoomed upward and slammed into the glass roof with a deafening bang.

Harry's mistake was not knowing if the beautiful scene above their head was an illusion or not. This question was answered when the spell punched a hole through the glass. Everyone in the common room watched in horror as the fist sized hole began to gush water.

Everyone's eyes followed the spider webbing cracks that spread along the glass, popping rivets and bolts along the way.

_"Harry, if we get out of this without drowning, I'm going to live up to my promise and defenestrate the hell out of you!"_ the bushy haired girl mentally groaned.

CRA-A-A-A-A-A-ACK!-!-!

The entire east side of the glass dome shattered, instantly flooding the common room with waist deep water. The combined population of Slytherin stampeded out of the line of fire. No one noticed Millicent Bulstrode make her way to a nearby mirror. Nor did anyone notice her twist the snake ornament and disappear.

Anyone who hung around for a few more seconds would have heard the sound of choking as Hermione attempted to throttle her would be teacher, Homer Simpson style…

* * *

"Did you really have to choke me?" Harry rasped as the two stumbled into the common room a half hour later.

"Given the circumstances (which you caused), my response could be considered fairly mild!" she sniffed primly.

"Point taken. See you tomorrow?" the alchemist asked tentatively.

"Indeed, although after tonight's debacle, classes will probably be canceled…." The brunette rolled her eyes, making her way up to the girl's dormitory.

Harry stumbled up to the boy's section, idly tossing his soaked robes into a nearby laundry basket.

The alchemist let out a weary groan as he threw open the curtains, preparing for a good night's rest…only to bite back a frightened (and very manly) shriek as a pair of silver grey eyes peered back at him from the confines of his bed.

"Hello, Mr. Homunculus!" the diminutive, blonde, first year girl in Ravenclaw robes said softly.

"_Verdammt_! Who the…who _en zur holle_ are you?-!" the middle Elric sputtered, clutching his heart.

"I'm Luna Lovegood, and many people, like the wrackspurts, Great-grandmummy, and me, are very interested in you." She said.

Harry's train of thought ground to a halt as he tried to process the latest turn of events.

"I don't know how you got here, or why, but please….it's been a very long day, and I really don't have time for fangirls….or in your case fan families…" He groaned.

Her expression turned stony, "I'll have you know I am NOT a fangirl Mr. Homumculus! Great-Grandmummy has taken quite a bit of curiosity about your unique situation, and if you don't want to get your memory back, then I suppose I'll just take my information and leave!" she sniffed, hopping off the bed.

"What do you mean restore my memory, and why do you keep calling me Mr. Homunculi!-?" the black haired boy growled, grabbing her arm.

"My Great-grandmummy knows a great many things, and as for why I call you that: names are powerful things Mr. Homunculi, and shouldn't be used lightly. So why should I deny who you are?" she smiled happily, holding out an envelope.

"What is this?" Harry asked.

"Memory charms are tricky things. The spell has a release key built into it, a random word or phrase that unravels it like a Heffalump's nest. If someone were to divine this key, locked memories could be released. But sadly, the way to do this has been lost… to most people." She chirped.

"Why are you giving me this? What do you want?" Harry asked.

The girl cocked her head to the side, almost like a bird, "Serendipity is an unusual thing. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad. Great-Grandmummy learned this the hard way. Sometimes we're better off not knowing things. You might not like what lies in your lost memories, Mr. Homumculi. The choice is yours, blissful ignorance, or forbidden knowledge." She said almost sadly, before running down the stairs.

"Wait!" Harry protested, sprinting after her.

But when he reached the ground floor, she was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Harry stumbled down to the Great hall the next day. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. The fact that his arms had kept sparking at odd moments, combined with the odd conversation with that Lovegood girl, had kept his mind occupied to the point where he was unable to nod off.

The Slytherin table was particularly subdued. Most of them were still more than a little damp, and many of them looked like they wanted to murder something.

The subdued conversation halted when Dumbledore knocked his wand against his drinking glass, sending a musical tinkle throughout the room.

"As many of you know, the Slytherin common room, and much of the lower half of the dungeons are closed until further notice. An unknown person or persons entered the Slytherin dormitory last night, and blew a hole in the glass ceiling that offered a delightful view of the interior of the Black lake. Now the entire dormitory, and most of the adjacent corridors, are underwater. And until we can drain the fluid away and evict the giant squid from his new home in the girl's lavatory, the entire house will have to be divided among the others until further notice. The new living assignments will be posted outside the hall after Breakfast! Classes have been canceled for the remainder of day, so that the faculty can investigate the identity of the perpetrator, and give the students time to adjust to their new surroundings…" the elderly headmaster said.

"Crap in a bucket! Knowing our luck, we'll be living with those cackling hens from last night…" Harry groaned.

"We'll have to keep a low profile, and make sure not to give them anything to discover!" Hermione hissed.

Their conversation was interrupted when a striking silver eagle owl flew through the window, depositing a letter in the metallic hand of the middle Elric brother.

"What's that?" Harry's apprentice asked curiously.

"A reply from my superior officer, Colonel, Roy Mustang. I sent him a letter last night telling him my automail was damaged. This says he'll meet me by a three topped oak, a mile west of Hogsmeade, tonight at midnight." The boy who lived replied.

Moments later, a second owl dropped a letter in Harry's lap.

"And this one…crud. The headmaster needs to see me. Apparently he wishes to speak of 'long overdue business'." The middle Elric said grimly.

* * *

Later that day, Harry approached the Gargoyle, and was more than surprised to find it open and waiting.

"Well this isn't ominous…" the alchemist snorted.

The boy who lived ascended the staircase, walking into the well appointed office. The shelves were lined with nick-knacks and a multitude of books, ranging from a variety of subjects and languages. Standing in the corner was an ornamental scythe, the heft made of burnished wood engraved with a multitude of arcane symbols. The blade was made of steel, well polished and well cared for.

He heard a weak chirp in the corner and was surprised to see a tiny, fluffy, baby bird resting in a pile of ashes.

"Dumbledore didn't strike me as the ornithological type…" Harry uttered.

"And that would be because I am not. Fawks is my familiar and companion, not a test subject." The headmaster said from behind Harry.

"Headmaster…" the alchemist nodded, taking a seat.

"Now, as the note said, we have many things to discuss, first and foremost; what happened as of the end of last year?" The elderly man asked.

"About what you'd expect. My friends and I figured out your little puzzles, I made it through the potion riddle, it was Snape who after the stone." Harry rolled his eyes.

"That is the point I do not understand. How could Severus fall under the sway of Voldemort once again? He was repentant of his past misdeeds."

"Obviously not as much as you'd like to think. He had a lot of interesting things to say. First and foremost ranting about my 'mudblood bitch of a mother'."

"I had no idea he had fallen so far. Young Severus was in love with your mother. Sadly, after a confrontation with your father, Lily attempted to comfort him. But Severus would have none of it. He called her a mudblood and drove her away, eventually into the arms of your James Potter.

"So this whole thing happened because of a love triangle gone wrong. And I thought things were messed up when Snape's master tried to separate my head from my shoulders."

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "He was there? The dark lord was there?"

"Yeah. His face was jutting out of the slimeball's head. That greasy mop was a wig…" Harry shrugged.

"I see. And the stone?"

"For all I know, probably lost somewhere over the Atlantic. I have no idea what happened to it after my… abrupt departure. And since my memories of the past several months are a total blank, I have no way of pinpointing its location"

"More the pity. Thankfully, Nicolas saved up enough elixir to keep himself and his wife, Perenelle, alive until their affairs are fully in order." The headmaster said sadly.

"I see. I have one question for you." Harry narrowed his eyes.

"And that would be?"

"The prophecy. Snape mentioned one concerning Voldemort and myself."

Dumbledore's eye twitched, "I was afraid of this. Sadly, you are not ready…"

"Pardon my language, but that's total bullshit!" Harry snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"You don't know me, or anything about me? How could you possibly know whether I'm ready to learn about this or not?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

"I'm keeping this knowledge from you for your own benefit! I'd rather you have a normal childhood, than…" the old man protested.

Harry let out a bitter bark of laughter, "'A normal childhood'? That's a laugh!" he snorted.

"Excuse me?" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.

Harry rolled up his sleeves, "Does this look like the product of a normal childhood to you?" the boy who lived scowled.

"I admit I was curious…"

"Then you should have asked! You should have asked before automatically branding me a danger to the students! You should have asked before deciding to take the easy way out and consider drugging me into compliance! You should have fucking asked before trying to pry into my thoughts, like you have been for the past five minutes!" the boy who lived snarled.

Dumbledore slumped. "It would appear that my attempt to handle the situation merely made it worse."

"That the kinder way to put it. Let me lay it out for you. I'm not your weapon. I'm not a danger to anyone unless they harm me or mine. If the prophecy says what I think it does, then I'm more or less going to clean up the mess Voldemort made of the wizarding world. If I had even the slightest lack of morals, I'd just as easily wash my hands of this place." Harry growled.

Dumbledore chuckled mirthlessly, "I can see the writing on the wall. My misreading of the entire bloody situation has caused me to lose what little trust you might have had. Very well, the prophecy goes something like this: 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. … Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not … and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. … The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…'. That could have described one of two people. Neville Longbottom, or yourself. Since Voldemort saw fit to place that symbol on your forehead, it stands to reason that you are the one 'marked as his equal."

"And it stands to reason that I'll meet him someday, and Gods of alchemy willing, end him as well." The boy who lived sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Silence reigned as the alchemist stepped out the door.

"Oh, and one last word: my brothers and I never believed in fate. If we did, we wouldn't have ended up with these…" Harry added, gesturing to his mechanical arms.

* * *

It was later that night that Harry snuck out of the castle via invisibility cloak. He had little doubt that Dumbledore knew full well that he was leaving the school (albeit temporarily). But this outing was too important to put off.

And so the boy who lived crept through the long grass to the meeting place by the three topped oak.

It was of little surprise that the colonel Roy Mustang was leaning against the tree. Hawkeye was by his side, as always.

"Long time no see, Evil eye…" the dark haired man said.

"Harry." The blond said shortly.

"Colonel. Did you bring an automail mechanic?" Harry asked.

"Yes, she's waiting at a nearby bar, the Hog's head." He replied, gesturing for his subordinate to follow.

"It's been some time since we chattered idly like this…" the boy who lived snorted.

"Indeed. I believe the last time we talked casually was the time you picked my pocket and stole one of my precious ignition cloth gloved." The colonel glared.

"I apologized for that a million times! And did I ever mention that the fire from that thing saved my life? I would have gotten throttled by an angry plant if it hadn't been for that glove." The younger alchemist pointed out.

The odd look the sniper gave him required no translation.

"Ri-i-i-i-ight. My glove saved you from an angry plant. That totally justifies you picking my pockets and losing a precious memento." Mustang deadpanned.

"Oh? It was a gift?" Harry blinked.

"Well, no. But it might have been. Then I would have enjoyed making you feel guilty enough to owe me a few favors!" the colonel smiled evilly.

"Truly, my superior officer is the devil incarnate…" Harry deadpanned.

"And don't you forget it!" the flame alchemist retorted.

"Of course, I could always counter that guilt trip with a bit of blackmail…how about the nickname for you that the office pool came up with after you stole your tenth girlfriend from their ranks…" Harry leered.

"If you even utter that accursed name, they'll never find your body!" the older man glowered, his gloved hands twitching.

"As amusing as this witty banter is, we're here." Hawkeye deadpanned, opening the door.

Mustang passed the barkeep (a wide man in a plain brown robe with a thick beard that rivaled Hagrid's) a handful of gold coins. The man gestured to the back room.

The moment Harry stepped through the doorway; something blunt, metallic, and oddly familiar collided with his head…knocking the boy unconscious.

* * *

"Was that really necessary?" Hawkeye asked as Winry tinkered with the internal workings of Harry's arms.

"Yes. He has the gall to run away with those other two idiots, getting into who knows what…" the blond muttered as she tweaked.

"Attempted assassination of the president." Mustang supplied.

"Like attempted…" Winry suddenly stiffened, shooting Mustang a frightened look, placing herself between one of the butchers of the Ishval war and her little brother.

"I won't let you hurt him!" she scowled.

"Don't worry. Even if Evil eye did do it (which I doubt), Harry's one of the most level headed people I've ever seen. He wouldn't pull something like this without a damn good reason. He's one of my men, and I'd rather not throw away a talented subordinate if I can help it." Mustang rolled his eyes.

"I'm touched by your faith in me…" Harry slurred, his eyes still closed.

"I was wondering when you'd stop faking…" Hawkeye deadpanned.

"So you're not here to bring me in? Then why did you two come all this way?" Harry asked.

"To get some answers. I wanted to hear from your own mouth what happened during that raid. One minute you were engaging the enemy, and when you came out with Fullmetal less than half an hour later, you attacked the fuhrer. I want to know what you found out that changed your loyalty so drastically." The colonel asked.

"I wish I could tell you, but I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. My memories of the past six months are a total blank. The last thing I remember was fighting Voldemort, and being on the receiving end of that forced teleportation spell, then nothing."

"Shit. What happened, brain damage?" the flame alchemist frowned.

"Nothing so mundane: I was on the receiving end of a memory erasure spell. I might have a clue about getting those lost months back, but the source isn't very reliable, and I'm a little reluctant to fallow through if it bites me in the ass later." Harry grimaced.

"Double shit." The superior officer scowled.

"And on top of that, the school is one high alert. Something or someone is stalking the hall hell bent on doing away anyone with less than one hundred percent pure blood. So far no one's been killed, but there have been a few close calls. My apprentice and I are trying to figure out who did it. It was hard enough getting out here for a few hours, let alone however long it will take to clear my name." The evil eye alchemist sighed.

Mustang grinned evilly, "I think I might have an idea about how to get you some breathing room for a few weeks! It might involve a little risk, but it could work."

"I know that look. What do you have in mind sir?" Hawkeye frowned.

"Wait and see. I have a few calls to make, and then tomorrow night, we'll put on a show that no one will ever forget!" the dark haired adult grinned manically.

"Winry, do you ever get the feeling that something really bad is about to happen to you?" Harry asked, not liking the look on the older man's face.

"When it comes to you, Ed, and Al, I get that feeling all the time." The blonde said tiredly.

"Since you wore that invisibility cloak, more than likely no one knows you're here. So this is what we're going to do…" the colonel smiled.

* * *

The next night, the scene went essentially the same way. Harry left the castle to meet with his superior officer about getting his damaged automail repaired, the two spoke; a few moments into the conversation was when things changed…

"Before I answer that, I have a question for you, and I want you to think very carefully about how you answer…" Mustang frowned, revealing his ignition cloth covered hands.

"What the hell were you thinking attacking the fuhrer? We have multiple eye witness accounts of you and Fullmetal kicking around thirty Amestris soldiers, culminating in you assaulting the president. I have one question: Why?" Mustang growled.

"Even if I wanted to tell you the reason, I couldn't. My memory of the past several months is a total blank! I don't remember anything from the past six months…" the evil eye alchemist protested.

"I'm calling bullshit! Do you honestly expect me to believe that someone erased your memory right after you dropped off the radar? I'm feeling generous, so I'll give you a choice: either you come with me, willingly, or I have Hawkeye disable you, and it won't be painless." the colonel orated.

"Not gonna happen, Mr. FLAMING alchemist!" Harry smirked.

The younger state alchemist leaped backwards the moment the bark of a high caliber sniper rifle sounded, and a small patch of dirt kicked up where he had been standing only moments before.

POW!

The colonel snapped his fingers.

"SHIT!" Harry cursed, lunging to the side.

POW!

An explosion lit up the night that was visible all the way to the castle.

_"Damn it! He's not pulling his punches! He must still be sore about the office pool nickname thing..." _the younger alchemist thought sourly.

BOOM!

His attempt to get back to the castle was nixed when the ground in front of him was reduced to molten slag, and Harry was thrown off his feet.

"Either you come with me, or I keep remodeling the landscape until I catch you in the crossfire…" Mustang said dully.

_"Fine, he expects me to keep running until I drop…so I'll do the unexpected! But, first, I have to deal with the cover fire!" _Harrythought as he turned around and rushed right at the flame alchemist.

POW!

Harry somersaulted out of the way, just as a bullet tore into the ground where he was standing.

He clapped his hands together, sending a pulse of alchemical energy through the ground, uprooting the nearby trees and sending them (and Hawkeye by association) toppling like dominoes.

FOOM!

"EEEAAAAGH!"

The distraction cost Harry, the ground under his feet exploded in a fiery cataclysm of pain.

The evil eye alchemist rolled on the ground, desperately attempting to mother the flames that coated his body. He saw through the haze of agony that Mustang's expression was twisted into one of horrifying fury.

"That…was a HUGE mistake." The aptly named flame alchemist frowned.

That was when the boy remembered rule number one when it came to the commanding officer duo of Mustang and Hawkeye, when someone hurt one of them; the other paid the perpetrator back tenfold.

As the flames died, Harry noted dully that the scorched flesh was knitting back together at an astonishing rate.

"Well, isn't this interesting…" Mustang noted.

Harry did the only thing he could: he stumbled to his feet and ran like the hounds of hell were on his heels.

"Running won't help, evil eye. Hawkeye might be a master marksman, but my pinpoint aiming is just as good! I can hit you no matter how close or far you are!"

KA-POW

A burning explosion sent the younger boy flying across the field.

Veering to the side (and barely avoiding an explosion that would have blown his right leg off) Harry scrambled toward the now diminished Black Lake with a good chunk his remaining strength. With his back to the water, he did the only thing he could…

_ZAAAK!_

What little remaining energy the boy had left, he clapped his hand together and willed the earth to surround him like a protective shield.

"That won't help you!" Mustang scowled.

POW!

BOOM!

BANG!

Explosion after explosion rocked the tiny protective covering. The very air around it shimmered as the ambient heat melted the ground around them into molten slag.

"I can keep this up all day, can you?" the colonel frowned as he caused a mile high column of flame to engulf the sphere.

What Mustang didn't notice was that every few seconds, a new rune would become etched in the ground around the egg like barrier. More and more symbols wrote themselves into the ground, until a complete transmutation circle stretched from beneath Mustang's feet to the water.

_ZAAAAK!_

Sparks danced as the array lit up, and the surface of the water took a yellowish tinge…

Mustang sniffed the air, his eye widening in horror as a drop of molten stone sloughed off, and ignited the gasoline Harry transmuted out of a six inch layer of the remaining lake water.

"Oh Fu…" the colonel cursed.

**B-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-M!**

* * *

Mustang a Hawkeye limped into their room at the Hog's Head a short while later…

"Do you think the Fuhrer's men that were watching us bought it?" Hawkeye asked.

"I certainly hope so. I'd rather not have to do that again if I can help it…" The colonel winced, clutching his bruised ribs.

"Indeed. Now let us hope that this brawl reached the attention of the correct people, and then we can proceed from there…" Hawkeye nodded.

* * *

The young alchemist slept peacefully, the previous night's activities utterly exhausting him to the point where he dropped off to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Sadly, that sleep was soon to be interrupted.

PUFF!

Harry awoke early the next morning. He felt a hot wind blow across the nape of his neck.

"Knock it off Ed, I'm tryin' to sleep…" He slurred.

PUFF!

"I said knock it off!" The boy who lived snapped, kicking the person behind him in the face.

Only, his foot didn't hit soft flesh. Instead it struck slimy scales.

His breath hitching, Harry slowly rolled over and came face to face with a long lizard like face, with long stringy black hair, an odd looking compound eye (multiple normal sized eyes jammed into s single socket), and blunt teeth; each as large as the boy's head.

**"Hope you enjoyed the show folks! You know the drill, read, review and check out the challenges!" I nod as my muse leads an entire gang of disgruntled fanfiction characters away.**


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